Lung Cancer RTK Antibody Sampler Kit

Background

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related mortality worldwide (1). It is generally divided into two broad histological classifications: small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). NSCLC comprises about 80-85% of all lung cancers. Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are essential components to cellular signaling pathways and are often overexpressed or otherwise dysregulated by genetic mutations, fusion, or gene amplification (2,3). RTKs are generally activated by receptor specific ligands, leading to autophosphorylation and the subsequent recruitment of downstream signaling proteins. The most common RTK amplification in NSCLC is that for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Also, two of the most common mutations in EGFR include an exon 19 deletion, E746-A750, and a point mutation L858R (4,5). In addition to EGFR, several other RTKs may become aberrantly activated in NSCLC, including ALK, ROS1, HER2/ErbB2, Met, Ret, FGF Receptor 1, and NTRK (6). Specific tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been part of the arsenal of treating the disease and so analyzing the expression and mutational status of these receptors plays an important role in personalized treatment.