Tyrosine-protein kinase transmembrane receptor ROR1, also known as neurotrophic tyrosine kinase, receptor-related 1 (NTRKR1), is an enzyme that in humans is encoded by the ROR1gene.[5][6][7] ROR1 is a member of the receptor tyrosine kinase-like orphan receptor (ROR) family.
The protein encoded by this gene is a receptor tyrosine kinase that modulates neurite growth in the central nervous system. It is a type I membrane protein and belongs to the ROR subfamily of cell surface receptors.[5] ROR1 is currently under investigation for its role in the metastasis of cancer cells.[8]
ROR1 has recently been shown to be expressed on ovarian cancer stem cell, on which it seems to play a functional role in promoting migration/invasion or spheroid formation in vitro and tumor engraftment in immune-deficient mice. Treatment with a humanized mAb specific for ROR1 (UC-961) could inhibit the capacity of ovarian cancer cells to migrate, form spheroids, or engraft immune-deficient mice. Moreover, such treatment inhibited the growth of tumor xenografts, which in turn had a reduced capacity to engraft immune-deficient mice and were relatively depleted of cells with features of CSC, suggesting that treatment with UC-961 could impair CSC renewal. Collectively, these studies indicate that ovarian CSCs express ROR1, which may be targeted for anti-CSC therapy.[9]
Zilovertamab vedotin (ZV), an antibody–drug conjugate comprising a monoclonal antibody recognizing extracellular ROR1, a cleavable linker and monomethyl auristatin E has entered clinical trials for the treatment of lymphoid malignancies.[10]
Shabani M, Asgarian-Omran H, Omran HA, Jeddi-Tehrani M, Vossough P, Faranoush M, Sharifian RA, Toughe GR, Kordmahin M, Khoshnoodi J, Roohi A, Tavoosi N, Mellstedt H, Rabbani H, Shokri F (2007). "Overexpression of orphan receptor tyrosine kinase Ror1 as a putative tumor-associated antigen in Iranian patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia". Tumour Biology. 28 (6): 318–26. doi:10.1159/000121405. PMID18354269. S2CID82261.