Bruton’s Tyrosine Kinase (BTK)-Inhibitors in Cancer Therapeutics

Abstract

While continuous global efforts are directed towards finding a conclusive medication for cancer treatment, any gold standard drug product or process is yet to be achieved. Although, many promising compounds were identified over the years to fight cancer progression, most of them still remain restricted within clinical trial phases. Among several identified pathways for modulating cancer progression, Bruton’s tyrosine kinase (BTK) pathway inhibition has shown a greater potential. BTK regulates various aspects of B-cell lineages including proliferation, activation, differentiation, and survival. BTK is also responsible for multiple cellular signaling pathways, of which, FcR signaling cascade and B- cell receptor signaling are notable. Interestingly, BTK expression was reported to be excessively high in all the areas where B-cell mediated malignancies occur. Vivid involvement of BTK in several autoimmune diseases also rationally support the realization that BTK inhibition could be a conclusive therapeutic approach for cancer. In this short communication, we discuss the potential of BTK inhibitors in cancer therapeutics, considering the most recent literature.