AXL and cancer: Conversely, over-expression or aberrant activation of Tyro3, Axl, or Mer (gene name Mertk) is associated with the development, progression, and metastasis of cancers (Avilla et al., 2011; Cummings et al., 2013; Lemke, 2013; Meyer et al., 2013; Paccez et al., 2014).