CDK7
Overview
CDK7 is a cyclin-dependent kinase that functions both as a component of the CDK-activating kinase (CAK) complex, phosphorylating and activating other CDKs, and as a transcriptional kinase within the TFIIH complex, phosphorylating RNA Pol II to drive transcriptional initiation. CDK7 inhibitors (e.g., SY-5609, CT7001) are under clinical investigation as transcriptional cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors. Focal copy number loss of CDK7 at chromosome 5 has been identified in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma.
Alterations observed in the corpus
- Focal copy number loss at chromosome 5 in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC), identified as part of a comprehensive genomic and evolutionary landscape analysis PMID:38412093.
Cancer types (linked)
- THAP: CDK7 focal CNA loss on chromosome 5 detected in ATC; ATC represents the most aggressive form of thyroid cancer and harbors a substantially higher burden of CNAs compared to well-differentiated thyroid cancers PMID:38412093.
Co-occurrence and mutual exclusivity
- CDK7 loss co-occurs in the context of widespread chromosomal instability that distinguishes ATC from papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC); the CNA subtype landscape in ATC includes multiple concurrent losses PMID:38412093.
Therapeutic relevance
- CDK7 loss in ATC has not been directly therapeutically exploited, but CDK7 inhibitors are under investigation in other solid tumors; loss of CDK7 in ATC may paradoxically reduce sensitivity to CDK7 inhibitor-based strategies.
Open questions
- The functional consequences of CDK7 focal loss in ATC vs. CDK7 inhibitor sensitivity in CDK7-intact ATC cases have not been addressed in the corpus.
Sources
This page was processed by crosslinker on 2026-04-11.