Rabbit Polyclonal ALK Antibody

ALK (anaplastic lymphoma kinase) antibodies are immunological tools used to detect the expression or activation of ALK, a receptor tyrosine kinase encoded by the *ALK* gene. Originally identified in 1994 through its involvement in chromosomal translocations in anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), ALK gained broader attention due to its oncogenic role in cancers like non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), where *ALK* rearrangements (e.g., EML4-ALK fusion) drive tumor growth. ALK antibodies are critical in diagnostic pathology, particularly in immunohistochemistry (IHC), to identify ALK fusion proteins as biomarkers for targeted therapy. Monoclonal antibodies such as D5F3 and ALK1 are widely used; D5F3 exhibits high sensitivity and specificity, often complementing fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for NSCLC diagnosis. In research, ALK antibodies help study signaling pathways, phosphorylation status, and ALK's interplay with downstream effectors like STAT3 and PI3K. Therapeutically, ALK-targeting monoclonal antibodies are less common than small-molecule inhibitors (e.g., crizotinib, alectinib), but diagnostic antibodies remain pivotal for patient stratification. Challenges include cross-reactivity with related kinases and variability in ALK fusion detection across tumor types. Ongoing research focuses on optimizing antibody performance in companion diagnostics and understanding resistance mechanisms to ALK inhibitors.