AXL receptor tyrosine kinase (AXL) (AXL)

AXL receptor tyrosine kinase (AXL) is a member of the TAM family of receptors, which also includes TYRO3 and MERTK. It is activated by the ligand Growth Arrest-Specific 6 (GAS6) and plays a pivotal role in regulating cell survival, proliferation, and the inflammatory response (UniProt: P30530). In Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), AXL is frequently overexpressed and serves as a critical driver of leukemic cell growth and survival, particularly in the bone marrow microenvironment (Ben-Batalla et al., Blood 2013). AXL signaling is a major mechanism of resistance to FLT3 inhibitors, as it provides a bypass survival pathway for AML cells (Park et al., Science Signaling 2015). Therapeutic strategies targeting AXL include small molecule inhibitors like bemcentinib and multi-kinase inhibitors like gilteritinib, which aim to overcome drug resistance and inhibit AML progression (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02488291). Beyond AML, AXL is implicated in the epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and immune evasion in various solid tumors.

Other names

UFOARKTyro7JTK11AXL oncogene

Small molecule inhibition of the intracellular kinase domain or monoclonal antibody-mediated blockade of ligand binding (GAS6), leading to the suppression of downstream PI3K/Akt and MAPK/ERK signaling pathways.