Abstract:
Chronic activation of the B-cell antigen receptor (BCR) signaling pathway performs a critical function in the pathogenesis of numerous subtypes of B-cell malignancies and transforms normal cells into malignant cells. Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) is a member of the TEC family of tyrosine kinases and is a key regulator of the BCR signaling pathway. BTK inhibition has emerged as a new target for therapeutic intervention in B-cell malignancies. This review summarizes recent developments of BTK inhibitors in B-cell malignan -cies.