Gas6 and Tumor Associated Macrophages provide Targeting Therapy Opportunity

Ethan Li, Grade 12 Student at Markville Secondary School, Sun Life Gene Medical Science Institute Cancer Research Program Student, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Abstract Growth arrest-specific gene 6 (Gas6) is a gene that encodes the growth arrest-specific 6 (Gas6), a gamma-carboxyglutamic acid (Gla)-containing protein. A member of the vitamin K-dependent family of proteins, the Gas6 protein, which was originally found in growth-arrested fibroblasts, relies on the catalysis by vitamin K to activate. It is expressed in various tissues and has been found to play a role in the proliferation, survival, and migration of cells through the Gas6/TAM pathway. Tyro3, Axl, and MerTK (TAM) are Gas6’s accompanying receptors that allow the protein to undergo the Gas6/TAM pathway. The Gas6/TAM pathway has been discovered to be an oncogenic signal in cancer pathogenesis following numerous experiments and studies. This review will discuss the roles of Gas6 and TAM receptors in cancers and how they are involved with tumour associated macrophages and metastasis. Finally, the review will introduce recent studies on Gas6/TAM targeting in cancer therapy, which will assist in the experimental design of future analyses and increase the potential use of Gas6 as a therapeutic target for cancer. Keywords: Growth arrest-specific 6 (Gas6), Tyro3, Axl, and MerTK (TAM) Receptors, Tumor associated macrophages, Targeted Therapy