Tyrosine phosphatases: cellular functions and therapeutic potential

Proper control of protein tyrosine phosphorylation, a post-translational mo dification that is critical for cell growth and differentiation, is accompl ished through the actions of protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) and protein ty rosine phosphatases (PTPs). Alterations in the activity of either of these enzymes can result in improper protein tyrosine phosphorylation which can l ead to oncogenic transformation of cells. This review summarises recent adv ances in the identification and characterisation of protein tyrosine phosph atases and the patent literature related to these advances.