BTK

BTK is an acronym that can refer to several topics in criminology and genetics. Notable uses include the nickname of a serial killer and the Bruton tyrosine kinase gene.

BTK originated from the moniker given by Wichita, Kansas, serial killer Dennis Rader. Rader killed ten people in the Wichita area between 1974 and 1991. He referred to his crimes in letters to authorities and the media, using the phrase bind, torture, kill, which led to the attribution BTK (bind, torture, kill). He eluded capture for years until 2005, when he was arrested after investigators linked a computer floppy disk found in his home to a 1980s taunt and traced metadata to him. He pled guilty to ten counts of murder and additional charges and was sentenced to life imprisonment. He remains incarcerated in Kansas.

BTK also stands for Bruton tyrosine kinase, a protein kinase encoded by the BTK gene on the X chromosome. It plays a critical role in B cell development and signaling. Mutations in BTK cause X-linked agammaglobulinemia (XLA), a primary immunodeficiency characterized by very low B cell counts and immunoglobulins. The BTK protein is a cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase involved in B cell receptor signaling. In oncology, BTK inhibitors such as ibrutinib are used to treat certain B cell malignancies, including chronic lymphocytic leukemia and mantle cell lymphoma.

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