Various mutant forms of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) are related to multiple cancers, understanding different aspects of ALK provides essential information for researchers to understand the role of ALK in diseases. Creative Biolabs offers the highest quality bioanalytical services for qualitative and quantitative ALK biomarker analysis in a variety of matrices. New analytical methods are developed continuously for our clients.
Background
Several tumor types such as neuroblastomas, neuroectodermal tumors, glioblastomas, and melanoma are known to express the full-length ALK. Currently, the most common mechanism of constitutive ALK activation in cancer is chromosomal rearrangement which leads to the expression of constitutively active fusion kinases that drive malignant growth and cellular proliferation. For instance, in NSCLC, the most common ALK rearrangement is fusion of its 3' kinase domain with truncated portions of the (N-terminal) echinoderm microtubule-associated protein-like 4 (EML4).
Fig.1 Structure of ALK.1
Future Research of ALK
Given the proven success of RTK inhibitor drug development to date and the involvement of mutant forms of ALK in a variety of cancer types, targeting ALK in these diseases is a logical therapeutic approach. Several important questions in the research area of ALK include but are not limited to the following:
- What is the biological role of intracellular cleavage and extracellular cleavage of ALK?
- What is the biological role of different kinds of ALK isoforms?
- How does drug resistance become established with the stress of ALK tyrosine kinase inhibition?
Analysis Services at Creative Biolabs
- Creative Biolabs provides customized ALK assay development services. We will further validate the assay for its specificity, sensitivity, reproducibility, and accuracy. At Creative Biolabs, different assays are available to assess ALK such as WB, ELISA, IP, FACS, IHC, FISH, RT-PCR, NGS, and so forth.
- One critical PTM of ALK is N-glycosylation and there are 16 N-glycosylation sites within the ECD of ALK. We also provide ALK glycosylation analysis service. After glycosylation, the molecular weight of the full-length ALK displayed on an SDS-PAGE gel is about 220 kDa.
- ALK isoform analysis is also available for worldwide clients. Previous transcript analysis indicated the existence of three ALK isoforms with molecular weights of 61.1, 60.8, and 58.7.
- Since oncogenic activation of ALK kinase activity is crucial to ALK fusion proteins and ALK gain-of-function point mutants, inhibition of ALK kinase activity is the key to targeting ALK in various cancers.
Our popular analysis services targeting ALK include but are not limited to the following:
| Cat | Service |
| BAS95-1 | ALK Protein Analysis |
| BAS95-2 | ALK Mutation Detection |
| BAS95-3 | ALK RNAi Assay |
| BAS95-4 | ALK Inhibitor Development |
| BAS95-5 | ALK Glycosylation Analysis |
| BAS95-6 | ALK Isoform Analysis |
| BAS95-7 | In Vitro Kinase Assay |
| BAS95-8 | ALK Kinase Activity Assay |
Investigations related to ALK protein can help you to further understand the biological role of ALK and provide vital information to improve the strategy of ALK-targeted therapy. If you are interested in our services, please don't hesitate to contact us to develop custom solutions for specific needs. We will work to accommodate your request.
Reference
- From Wikipedia: By A2-33 - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:2xp2.png
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