Spleen Tyrosine Kinase in Malignancies and Sepsis: Pathophysiological Roles and Biomarker Potential—A Narrative Review
6 affiliations
- 1Research Center in the Medical-Pharmaceutical Field, Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, “Dunărea de Jos” University of Galati, 800008 Galati, Romania
- 2“Sf. Apostol Andrei” County Emergency Clinical Hospital, 800578 Galati, Romania
- 3“Sf. Ioan” Children’s Emergency Hospital, 800487 Galati, Romania
- 4“Sfântul Spiridon” Clinical Hospital of Pneumophthisiology, 800552 Galati, Romania
- 5Faculty of Medicine, “Ovidius” University of Constanta, 900470 Constanta, Romania
- 6Department of Medical Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Pamukkale University, 20070 Denizli, Turkey
Abstract
Spleen tyrosine kinase is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase that couples receptor engagement to cellular survival, immune responses, and tissue injury. This narrative review compares its biology in malignancies and sepsis to examine how cellular compartment, receptor architecture, activation state, and signaling duration alter the meaning of a common signaling hub. A structured narrative search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science covered English-language publications from January 2000 to August 2026, supplemented by older seminal studies. In several hematological malignancies, sustained receptor signaling or oncogenic cooperation supports malignant-cell persistence; solid tumors show both tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressive functions. In sepsis, dynamically changing immune and vascular responses link spleen tyrosine kinase to pathogen recognition, inflammatory and oxidative responses, endothelial dysfunction, and organ injury. Oncology includes mechanistic studies, human cohorts, and early clinical therapeutic trials, whereas sepsis evidence remains predominantly experimental, with limited human observational and ex vivo validation. Transcript abundance, total protein, and phosphorylation are distinct biomarker endpoints whose interpretation requires identification of the cellular source and sampling context. Kinase inhibitors have shown clinical activity in selected malignancies and protection in experimental sepsis, but these findings do not establish a validated predictive biomarker or clinical efficacy in sepsis. Translation requires disease-specific validation, standardized cellular assessment, and attention to treatment timing and preservation of host defense.
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BibTeX
@article{țocu2026spleen,
title = {{Spleen Tyrosine Kinase in Malignancies and Sepsis: Pathophysiological Roles and Biomarker Potential—A Narrative Review}},
author = {George Țocu and Bogdan Ioan Ștefănescu and Alina Pleșea Condratovici and Valerii Luțenco and Loredana Stavăr Matei and Lavinia Țocu and Raul Mihailov and Oana Mariana Mihailov and Oana Maria Dragostin and Dana Tutunaru and Ana Maria Pelin and Laurențiu Tony Hangan and Sergiu Ioachim Chirilă and Aysegul Cort and Mihaela Cezarina Mehedinți and Elena Mocanu},
journal = {Biomolecules},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.3390/biom16101529},
url = {https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/16/10/1529},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Spleen Tyrosine Kinase in Malignancies and Sepsis: Pathophysiological Roles and Biomarker Potential—A Narrative Review
AU - George Țocu
AU - Bogdan Ioan Ștefănescu
AU - Alina Pleșea Condratovici
AU - Valerii Luțenco
AU - Loredana Stavăr Matei
AU - Lavinia Țocu
AU - Raul Mihailov
AU - Oana Mariana Mihailov
AU - Oana Maria Dragostin
AU - Dana Tutunaru
AU - Ana Maria Pelin
AU - Laurențiu Tony Hangan
AU - Sergiu Ioachim Chirilă
AU - Aysegul Cort
AU - Mihaela Cezarina Mehedinți
AU - Elena Mocanu
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/01
JO - Biomolecules
DO - 10.3390/biom16101529
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/2218-273X/16/10/1529
AB - Spleen tyrosine kinase is a non-receptor tyrosine kinase that couples receptor engagement to cellular survival, immune responses, and tissue injury. This narrative review compares its biology in malignancies and sepsis to examine how cellular compartment, receptor architecture, activation state, and signaling duration alter the meaning of a common signaling hub. A structured narrative search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Web of Science covered English-language publications from January 2000 to August 2026, supplemented by older seminal studies. In several hematological malignancies, sustained receptor signaling or oncogenic cooperation supports malignant-cell persistence; solid tumors show both tumor-promoting and tumor-suppressive functions. In sepsis, dynamically changing immune and vascular responses link spleen tyrosine kinase to pathogen recognition, inflammatory and oxidative responses, endothelial dysfunction, and organ injury. Oncology includes mechanistic studies, human cohorts, and early clinical therapeutic trials, whereas sepsis evidence remains predominantly experimental, with limited human observational and ex vivo validation. Transcript abundance, total protein, and phosphorylation are distinct biomarker endpoints whose interpretation requires identification of the cellular source and sampling context. Kinase inhibitors have shown clinical activity in selected malignancies and protection in experimental sepsis, but these findings do not establish a validated predictive biomarker or clinical efficacy in sepsis. Translation requires disease-specific validation, standardized cellular assessment, and attention to treatment timing and preservation of host defense.
SN - 2218-273X
ER -