Gas6 and the receptor tyrosine kinase Axl in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.
BACKGROUND: The molecular biology of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is complex and not fully understood. We have recently found that the expression of the receptor tyrosine kinase Axl in the RCC tumors independently correlates with survival of the patients. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here, we have investigated the role of Axl and its ligand Gas6, the vitamin-K dependent protein product of the growth arrest-s