The Janus-associated kinase (JAK) family comprises cytoplasmic receptor-associated protein tyrosine kinases that are involved in signal transduction pathways mediated by many cytokines and cytokine-like hormones. Physiologically, these cytokines play a critical role in regulating normal cellular functions such as proliferation, survival, and differentiation. The importance of JAKs derives from the fact that they are the first proteins involved in the intracellular part of cytokine-induced signal transduction. The major signaling events downstream of JAKs are the activation of the signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins, the Ras/Raf/mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), and the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3-K)/Akt pathways. Therefore, JAKs represent an attractive target for the development of novel drugs that might selectively inhibit their activity. Indications under clinical evaluation for JAK inhibitors are the inflammatory diseases psoriasis, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease as well as myeloproliferative disorders.

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