ALK and neoplasm: More recent studies have suggested that NPM-ALK can exert oncogenic effects via a host of additional mechanisms, including its ability to (1) upregulate cytokines that can promote tumor growth and metastasis, (2) enhance the anti-tumor immune response, adaption to hypoxia, angiogenesis, and (3) deregulate DNA methylation, DNA mismatch repair, metabolism, and inhibit various tumor suppressors (e.g., SHP1 and STAT1) [15].