Resumen
Bile duct cancer (cholangiocarcinoma) is a relatively rare cancer type that has a 5-year survival rate of 26% if diagnosed early, but a survival rate of less than 10% if the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes. Most patients with bile duct cancer are treated with surgery and chemotherapy, which unfortunately is more palliative than curative. In comparison to other gastrointestinal cancers, there are few targeted therapies which are specific to bile duct cancer. In searching for new molecular targets for bile duct cancer diagnosis and therapy, we found that the receptor tyrosine kinase AXL is highly expressed in bile duct cancer cells and that inhibition of its expression and signaling significantly reduces tumor growth and the spread of cancer cells. This study suggests that AXL is a potential new therapeutic target for treating bile duct cancers.