Protein tyrosine kinase 6 (PTK6) is the most well studied member of the PTK6 family of intracellular tyrosine kinases. While it is expressed at highest levels in differentiated cells in the regenerating epithelial linings of the gastrointestinal tract and skin, induction and activation of PTK6 is detected in several cancers, including breast and prostate cancer where high PTK6 expression correlates with worse outcome. PTK6 expression is regulated by hypoxia and cell stress, and its kinase activity is induced by several growth factor receptors implicated in cancer including members of the ERBB family, IGFR1 and MET. Activation of PTK6 at the plasma membrane has been associated with the epithelial mesenchymal transition and tumor metastasis. Several lines of evidence indicate that PTK6 has context dependent functions that depend on cell type, intracellular localization and kinase activation. Systemic disruption of PTK6 has been shown to reduce tumorigenesis in mouse models of breast and prostate cancer, and more recently small molecule inhibitors of PTK6 have exhibited efficacy in inhibiting tumor growth in animal models. Here we review data that suggest targeting PTK6 may have beneficial therapeutic outcomes in some cancers.
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