Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK), also known as CD246, is a receptor tyrosine kinase and member of the insulin receptor superfamily.1 It is composed of an N-terminal extracellular domain that participates in cell-cell interactions, as well as transmembrane and juxtamembrane domains, and a C-terminal intracellular region that contains the protein kinase domain. Full-length ALK is expressed primarily in the embryonic nervous system, but the ALK kinase domain is expressed in a variety of cell types in the adult as a fusion protein.1,2 ALK is involved in cell proliferation and survival through downstream activation of the ERK1/2 and JAK/STAT signaling pathways, respectively.1 The fusion protein nucleophosmin-ALK (NPM-ALK) has a constitutively active ALK kinase domain and is ectopically expressed in anaplastic large-cell lymphoma (ALCL), a type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.3 A variety of ALK-based fusion proteins are associated with ALCL, non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT), diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL), and other cancers.1 Activating mutations in, and overexpression of, ALK have been associated with childhood neuroblastomas. Cayman’s ALK/CD246 (C-Term) Rabbit Monoclonal Antibody (Clone RM361) can be used for immunohistochemistry (IHC) and Western blot (WB) applications.WARNING This product is not for human or veterinary use.
