Description
Protein tyrosine kinase 7 (PTK7) is a highly conserved but catalytically inactive receptor tyrosine kinase in the Wnt signaling pathway. PTK7 regulates various processes in embryonic development and tissue homeostasis. On a cellular level PTK7 affects the establishment of cell polarity, the regulation of cell movement and migration as well as cell invasion. The PTK7 receptor interacts with ligands, co-receptors, and intracellular transducers of Wnt signaling pathways, pointing to a function in the fine-tuning of the Wnt signaling network. PTK7 is a critical regulator of canonical and non-canonical Wnt-signaling during embryonic development and cancer cell formation. Disrupting PTK7 activity perturbs vertebrate nervous system development, and also promotes human cancer formation. PTK7 plays an important role in human cancers, including triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), ovarian cancer, and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)