A major component of B-cell-receptor signaling that mediates interactions with the tumor microenvironment and promotes survival and proliferation of malignant B-cells.
BTK is critical to B-cell development, including proliferation, maturation, differentiation, apoptosis, and cell migration.
BTK plays a role in the progression of B-sell lymphoproliferative disorders, such as mantle cell lymphoma and chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma.
BTK protein is a Tec family tyrosine kinase activated by spleen tyrosine kinase following B-cell-receptor stimulation and which is required for downstream events including calcium release, activation of the NFkB and NFAT pathways, cell survival and proliferation.
BTK family transmit signals through a variety of receptors in B cells and myeloid cells.
In X-linked agammaglobulinenemia there is a functional mutations in BTK resulting in the virtual absence of all B cells and immunoglobulins leading to recurrent bacterial infections.