ZAP-70 Plays Diverse Roles in Human Health, Disease

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Med Sci (Paris). 2005 Feb;21(2):150-155.

[Everything you ever wanted to know about ZAP-70.]

[Article in French]

Hivroz C.

Inserm U.365, Institut Curie, Section Recherche, 26, rue d'Ulm, 75248

Paris Cedex 05, France. claire.hivroz@....

The ZAP-70 tyrosine kinase has been described more than ten years

ago. Its key role in thymocytes development and mature T lymphocytes

activation has been illustrated by the characterization of several

human immunodeficiencies presenting with mutations in the zap-70 gene

resulting in the absence of ZAP-70 expression.

More recently, it has been shown that deregulation of ZAP-70 activity

can induce autoimmune diseases. Finally, ZAP-70 expression has been

shown in some B chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and correlated with bad

prognosis of the disease.

The diversity of pathologies associated with deregulation of ZAP-70

demonstrates its key role in immune responses. Research aiming at

deciphering the different signalling pathways regulated by ZAP-70

will not only shed some lights on these pathologies, but will also

help finding new pharmacological tools, targeting ZAP-70, designed to

induce immunosuppression or tolerance.

PMID: 15691485 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]