RTKs are frequently implicated in a variety of diseases, especially cancer. Aberrant activation of RTKs, due to mutations, overexpression, or autocrine loops, can lead to uncontrolled cell proliferation and survival. For example, mutations in the EGFR gene are common in non-small cell lung cancer, making it a prime target for therapeutic intervention. Inhibitors such as tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) have been developed to target aberrant RTK signaling in various cancers. Examples include erlotinib and gefitinib for EGFR, and imatinib for BCR-ABL fusion protein in chronic myeloid leukemia.
