فارسی
FLT3 (fms-like tyrosine kinase 3) is a gene that provides instructions for making a protein called FLT3, which is a member of the receptor tyrosine kinase (RTKs) family of proteins. FLT3 is a cytokine receptor that belongs to the class III receptor tyrosine kinase and is expressed on the surface of many hematopoietic precursor cells.
FLT3 signaling is crucial for the development of normal hematopoietic stem cells and hematopoietic precursor cells. FLT3 is composed of five immunoglobulin-like domains in the extracellular region, a transmembrane domain, a juxtamembrane domain, and a tyrosine kinase domain. FLT3 is a receptor for the cytokine Flt3 ligand (FLT3L). Mutations in the FLT3 gene are associated with acute myeloid leukemia (AML).
AML is characterized by an increase in the number of immature myeloid cells and blasts in the bone marrow and peripheral blood, and various factors contribute to its development, with mutations in genes involved in cell proliferation and differentiation being among the most important. FLT3 is located on the short arm of chromosome 13 and is expressed in immature blood cells, gonads, and the brain.
FLT3 receptor expression is increased in approximately 70% to 100% of AML cases and in a high percentage of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) cases. Mutations in the FLT3 gene are the most common genetic abnormalities defined in AML. The main mutations are FLT3-ITD (internal tandem duplication) and FLT3-TKD (tyrosine kinase domain) mutations. FLT3-ITD mutations result in changes in the juxtamembrane domain of the protein that covers the cell membrane, leading to the activation of the FLT3 receptor without FLT3L binding and continuous signaling. FLT3-TKD mutations also lead to the activation of the FLT3 receptor and continuous signaling, resulting in acute myeloid leukemia.
Inhibiting FLT3 kinase using kinase inhibitors or other methods is an attractive therapeutic target for patients with mutations in this gene. FLT3 mutation analysis identifies mutations in the FLT3 gene that are common mutations in AML. This test identifies FLT3 internal tandem duplication (ITD) mutations and FLT3 tyrosine kinase domain (TKD) mutations using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and electrophoresis. The sensitivity of this test is less than that of other methods designed to test for this disease.
