Somatic mutations of GUCY2F, EPHA3, and NTRK3 in human cancers.

Tyrosine kinases are major regulators of signal transduction cascades involved in cellular proliferation and have important roles in tumorigenesis. We have recently analyzed the tyrosine kinase gene family for alterations in human colorectal cancers and identified somatic mutations in seven members of this gene family. In this study we have used high-throughput sequencing approaches to further evaluate this subset of genes for genetic alterations in other human tumors. We identified somatic mutations in GUCY2F, EPHA3, and NTRK3 in breast, lung, and pancreatic cancers. Our results implicate these tyrosine kinase genes in the pathogenesis of other tumor types and suggest that they may be useful targets for diagnostic and therapeutic intervention in selected patients.