Signal Transduction Pathway and its Clinical Implications

Running head: SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION PATHWAY
Signal Transduction Pathway
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Author Note

1SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION PATHWAY
Signal transduction pathway refers to the process of transferring chemical signals or
physical signals in order to exert a cellular response through a series of changes in molecular
structures. In most of the cases, protein phosphorylation due to the effect of protein kinases is
responsible for the initiation of signal transduction. The proteins that are associated with
detection of conformational changes are referred to as receptors. Whenever, a ligand binds to
it adjacent receptor, a changes in the structure of that receptors or that particular cell
membrane region take place. As a result, the chain of the biochemical cascade pathway takes
place. This mechanism of action causes the signal transduction pathways to take place.
There are various signal transduction pathways such as Mitogen Activated protein kinase
(MAPK), JNK signal transduction pathway, ERK signal transduction pathway, JAK-STAT
signal transduction pathways and those signal transduction pathways are used to treat various
critical disease in the human body ( Sever and Brugge). For example it can be said that, by
altering the actual mechanism of those signalling pathways, the critical diseases like cancer,
tumours can be treated. In this essay, the clinical implications of signal transduction pathways
are discussed in a brief manner and along with this, use of those protein channels are also
highlighted.
The JAK-STAT signal transduction pathway is one of the most effective, treatment
method for the treatment of cancer in recent times. In the treatmenet of autoimmune disease
and malignancies, the JAK-STAT pathways has become, one of the primary therapeutic
target in this treatment process. The use of JAK inhibitor named Jakinib is mostly used to
inhibit the signal transduction process of JAK-STAT pathways. Ruxilitinib is one of the
most potent JAK 1 and JAK2 inhibitors which is approved by FDA for using in the treatment
of patients who are suffering from moderate and high-risk primary myelofibrosis after
having COMFORT-I and COMFORT-II therapy. The use of this JAK inhibitor has shown
significant positive results in the treatment of the disease. Oclacitinib is another JAK inhibitor

2SIGNAL TRANSDUCTION PATHWAY
and it has been proven successful in the treatment of atopic dermatitis among the canines.
Although, no human sample is not used in this study, still the success among the canines has
encouraged the researchers to treat the allergic skins by using its anti- inflammatory effects
among the human subjects ( O’Shea et al.). According to the study of Davis et al., it was
observed that, the use of Ruxolitinib is effective in the treatment of myelofibrosis. In this
study, almost 108 patient’s data were analysed and among them, 25 patients were in low risk
condition and 83 patients were diagnosed with the intermediate risks of the disease. The
study result showed that, the both type of treatment group that were the low risk and
intermediate group, had experienced decrease in the size of the spleen due this treatment of
this drug. Hence the author concluded that, the use of Ruxolitinib among the low-risk MF
may have clinical benefits from this treatment.
The use of MAPK pathway inhibitor in the cancer can be another important clinical
impliocation of signal transduction pathways. Due to presence of malignant cells, the amount
of reactive oxygen species ( ROS) and other inflammatory cytokines are produced in a higher
amount than that of the normal condition. In case of prostate cancer, the upregulation of
HER2 receptors are observed and that fact is indicating that, the MAPK pathways has a
crucial role in the upegulation of HER2. In addition to this, the COX-2 may also produce in
more amount than that of the normal condition. In studies, it was observed that, the
inhibition of COX-2 by using the lasiodin can also cause inhibition of the MAPK pathways
and as a result the carcinogenicity in the bladder will reduce. In a study it was observed that,
due to the activity of the MAPK the HER2 is overexpressed in the malignant conditions. In
this study, it was observed that the expression of the HER 2 is almost observed in 15-30%
cases of breast cancer cases and in case of gastric cancer, this amount is almost 10-30%
(Iqbal and Iqbal). This study reported that, the HER2 directed therapies had showed
immense positive response among the patients who had HER2 positive breast cancer and