The JAK-STAT Pathway: Impact on Human Disease and Therapeutic Intervention

Overview

Journal Annu Rev Med

Publisher Annual Reviews

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2015 Jan 15

PMID 25587654

Citations 665

Authors

John J OShea

Daniella M Schwartz

Alejandro V Villarino

Massimo Gadina

Iain B McInnes

Arian Laurence

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The Janus kinase (JAK)-signal transducer of activators of transcription (STAT) pathway is now recognized as an evolutionarily conserved signaling pathway employed by diverse cytokines, interferons, growth factors, and related molecules. This pathway provides an elegant and remarkably straightforward mechanism whereby extracellular factors control gene expression. It thus serves as a fundamental paradigm for how cells sense environmental cues and interpret these signals to regulate cell growth and differentiation. Genetic mutations and polymorphisms are functionally relevant to a variety of human diseases, especially cancer and immune-related conditions. The clinical relevance of the pathway has been confirmed by the emergence of a new class of therapeutics that targets JAKs.

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