Protein / target

Tyrosine-protein kinase JAK1

JAK1P23458Homo sapiensSwiss-Prot
Clinically validated
Therapeutic maturity
14
Approved medicines
30
Clinical trials
Small-molecule tractable
Druggability
Approved Drug

Protein at a glance

Biological role

Non-membrane spanning protein tyrosine kinase activity

Primary system

Immune system

Strongest disease association

hypothyroidism

Genetic evidence · score 0.93

Therapeutic maturity

Clinically validated target

14 approved medicines against this target

Druggability

Small molecule

Open Targets tractability · Approved Drug

Clinical development

14 approved · 11 in clinical development

30 linked trials

Derived from structured UniProt, Open Targets and literature data on this page.

Protein profile

UniProt 2026_02

Canonical identity and biological annotation from UniProt.

Function

Non-membrane spanning protein tyrosine kinase that phosphorylates signal-transducing subunits of cytokine receptor complexes like IL2RB, IL10RA, IFNAR2, IL6ST, LIFR, OSMR and IL31RA (PubMed:11909529, PubMed:12133952, PubMed:15194700, PubMed:16239216, PubMed:28111307, PubMed:32750333, PubMed:7615558, PubMed:8232552, PubMed:9188471). Functionnally, is involved in the IFN-alpha/beta/gamma signal pathway (PubMed:16239216, PubMed:28111307, PubMed:32750333, PubMed:7615558, PubMed:8232552). Mechanistically, in response to interferon-binding to IFNAR1-IFNAR2 heterodimer, phosphorylates and activates its binding partner IFNAR2, creating docking sites for STAT proteins (PubMed:7759950). Directly phosphorylates STAT proteins but also activates STAT signaling through the transactivation of other JAK kinases associated with signaling receptors (PubMed:16239216, PubMed:32750333, PubMed:8232552). Involved in the MT-RNR2/humanin-mediated signaling pathway leading to STAT3 phosphorylation (PubMed:27384491). Binding of CNTF or the CLCF1/CLF heterodimer to CNTFR leads to IL6ST/gp130-LIFR dimerization followed by activation of JAK1 and JAK2 which in turns phosphorylate IL6ST/gp130 and LIFR (PubMed:11294841). The tyrosine phosphorylated signaling receptors serve in turn as docking proteins for STAT3 (PubMed:11294841). Involved in the oncostatin-M-mediated signaling pathway through both type I OSM receptor complex (heterodimers composed of LIFR and IL6ST) and type II OSM receptor complex (heterodimers composed of OSMR and IL6ST) (PubMed:9188471). Involved in the oncostatin-M-mediated signaling pathway through both type I OSM receptor complex (heterodimers composed of LIFR and IL6ST) and type II OSM receptor complex (heterodimers composed of OSMR and IL6ST) (PubMed:9188471). Involved in the Interleukin-31-mediated signaling pathway through the IL31 receptor complex (heterodimers composed of OSMR and IL31RA) (PubMed:15194700)

Subcellular location

Endomembrane system
Domains and Gene Ontology detail (44)

Domains & features

FERMSH2Protein kinase 1Protein kinase 2

Gene Ontology

  • Ccytoplasm
  • Ccytoplasmic side of plasma membrane
  • Ccytosol
  • Cendoplasmic reticulum lumen
  • Cendosome
  • Cextrinsic component of cytoplasmic side of plasma membrane
  • Cfocal adhesion
  • Cnucleus
  • Cplasma membrane
  • FATP binding
  • FCCR5 chemokine receptor binding
  • Fgrowth hormone receptor binding

1154 aa · 133 kDa

Biological roles

Reactome v97

What this protein does, drawn together from its UniProt function, Gene Ontology terms and Reactome pathways.

Immune signallingUniProt · GO · ReactomeKinase signallingUniProt · GOCell adhesionGO
View supporting evidence

Immune signalling

  • ·Non-membrane spanning protein tyrosine kinase that phosphorylates signal-transducing sub…
  • ·cytokine-mediated signaling pathway
  • ·interleukin-10-mediated signaling pathway
  • ·interleukin-11-mediated signaling pathway

Kinase signalling

  • ·Non-membrane spanning protein tyrosine kinase that phosphorylates signal-transducing sub…
  • ·non-membrane spanning protein tyrosine kinase activity
  • ·protein tyrosine kinase activity
  • ·protein phosphorylation

Cell adhesion

  • ·positive regulation of homotypic cell-cell adhesion
  • ·protein localization to cell-cell junction
View underlying pathways (25)

Concepts derived from UniProt GO Reactome — each badge above shows which sources supported that role.

Interaction neighbourhood

STRING v12.0

Proteins with the strongest functional or physical association. Node size and line weight reflect STRING confidence; hover or select a partner to inspect one association.

IFNGR1IFNAR1STAT5BIL10RAJAK3SOCS1IL2RGIFNAR2JAK2STAT1JAK1

10 strongest partners — larger node and heavier line mean higher confidence

Functional and physical associations from STRING v12.0. Only associations with this protein are drawn — partner-to-partner links are not part of this evidence.

Drugs targeting this protein

2

Whether each drug engages this protein directly or through a complex, and how many other targets are recorded for it. Direct binders with few recorded targets are listed first.

abrocitinib
Narrow target profileApprovedInhibitor

Tyrosine-protein kinase JAK1 inhibitor

Appears in clinical studies involving atopic eczema, Eczematoid dermatitis, atopic eczema, systemic lupus erythematosus

Direct interaction with this protein · Only this protein recorded as a target

baricitinib
Narrow target profileApprovedInhibitor

Tyrosine-protein kinase JAK1 inhibitor

Appears in clinical studies involving juvenile idiopathic arthritis, atopic eczema, rheumatoid arthritis, juvenile dermatomyositis

Direct interaction with this protein · 1 of 2 recorded protein targets — narrow recorded profile

ChEMBL mechanism, action type and target identity. Open Targets clinical status and indications.

Translational evidence

Open Targets 26

Why this target matters therapeutically — disease associations, drugs in development, tractability and safety, from Open Targets.

Strongest genetic associations

Human genetic evidence — the most direct causal link between this target and a disease.

hypothyroidism0.93

Genetic · overall 0.56

autoinflammation, immune dysregulation, and eosinophilia0.80

Genetic · overall 0.69

rheumatoid arthritis0.66

Genetic · overall 0.71

Eczematoid dermatitis0.28

Genetic · overall 0.59

Highest-confidence therapeutic associations

Diseases where a drug acting on this target has already reached clinical development.

atopic eczema0.97

Clinical · overall 0.60

myelofibrosis0.96

Clinical · overall 0.59

ulcerative colitis0.95

Clinical · overall 0.58

psoriatic arthritis0.92

Clinical · overall 0.57

Crohn disease0.92

Clinical · overall 0.56

Highest overall evidence

Remaining associations by Open Targets' aggregated evidence score.

graft versus host disease0.57

Clinical

Show all associations
rheumatoid arthritis0.71
autoinflammation, immune dysregulation, and eosinophilia0.69
atopic eczema0.60
Eczematoid dermatitis0.59
myelofibrosis0.59
ulcerative colitis0.58
psoriatic arthritis0.57
graft versus host disease0.57
hypothyroidism0.56
Crohn disease0.56

Open Targets ranks 1,660 associations for this target and we store the top 10 by aggregated score. The long tail is largely literature co-mention and RNA-expression evidence, not evidence that this target drives those diseases.

Known drugs · 25 total

RUXOLITINIB PHOSPHATEApproval

graft versus host disease · vitiligo · myelofibrosis

MOMELOTINIB DIHYDROCHLORIDE MONOHYDRATEApproval

myelofibrosis · Splenomegaly · myeloproliferative disorder

NEZULCITINIBPhase 2

COVID-19 · acute lung injury · COVID-19

DEURUXOLITINIB PHOSPHATEApproval

alopecia areata

BREPOCITINIBPhase 3

dermatomyositis · lichen planopilaris · asthma

ITACITINIBPhase 3

graft versus host disease · chronic graft versus host disease · cancer

PEFICITINIBPhase 3

psoriasis vulgaris · rheumatoid arthritis · psoriasis vulgaris

SOLCITINIBPhase 2

systemic lupus erythematosus · psoriasis vulgaris · Arthritis

IZENCITINIBPhase 2 3

ulcerative colitis · Crohn disease · Crohn disease

TOFACITINIB CITRATEApproval

psoriatic arthritis · rheumatoid arthritis · Alopecia universalis

Tractability

SM · Approved DrugSM · Structure with LigandSM · High-Quality LigandSM · Druggable FamilyAB · GO CC high confAB · UniProt loc med confPR · LiteraturePR · UniProt UbiquitinationPR · Database UbiquitinationPR · Half-life DataPR · Small Molecule Binder

Clinical trials

30

Trials of drugs that target this protein — reached indirectly through those drugs, so a trial listed here studies the drug, not the protein.

Show remaining trials (24)

COMPLETED · via baricitinib · NCT04358614

COMPLETED · via baricitinib · NCT05188521

RECRUITING · via baricitinib · NCT05792462

COMPLETED · via baricitinib · NCT05524311

TERMINATED · via baricitinib · NCT05238896

COMPLETED · via abrocitinib · NCT05069831

ClinicalTrials.gov via the drug-target graph.

Related literature

5

Papers indexed under “Janus Kinase 1” — a subject heading that covers this protein without being specific to it. Shown as context; not counted as this protein's own research activity.

Europe PMC literature, reached through a MeSH descriptor linked to this protein.

Forefront confidence

Synthesis

Our own weighting of the evidence behind each disease association. Human genetics and clinical evidence count for most; literature co-mention counts for little, because two entities sharing an abstract is not evidence that one drives the other.

hypothyroidismWell supported
0.93
agreement 0.811.00
Genetic100%

Open Targets aggregate 0.56 · 1 independent evidence family

rheumatoid arthritisWell supported
0.92
agreement 0.811.00
Clinical50%Genetic45%Literature5%

Open Targets aggregate 0.71 · 3 independent evidence families

autoinflammation, immune dysregulation, and eosinophiliaWell supported
0.80
agreement 0.660.94
Genetic99%Literature1%Genetic literaturedup

Open Targets aggregate 0.69 · 2 independent evidence families · 1 not counted as duplicate

Eczematoid dermatitisWell supported
0.77
agreement 0.670.88
Clinical69%Genetic28%Literature3%

Open Targets aggregate 0.59 · 3 independent evidence families

atopic eczemaModerately supported
0.74
agreement 0.580.89
Clinical96%Literature4%

Open Targets aggregate 0.60 · 2 independent evidence families

This ranking differs from Open Targets' own: re-weighting moves genetically-evidenced diseases above more heavily co-mentioned ones. The evidence agreement range shows how closely the independent evidence families agree — it is not a statistical confidence interval, and nothing here is fitted to outcome data. Derived from Open Targets evidence types under Forefront weighting; the underlying per-type scores are shown above so the calculation can be checked.

What's happening now

17

Recent activity around this target, drawn from one canonical event stream. Every item is reached through 2 drugs that target this protein, so each event is news about that drug rather than about the protein directly.

  1. Label change2026-06-30

    Label change: BARICITINIB (NDA207924)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via baricitinib

  2. Label change2026-06-30

    Label change: ABROCITINIB (NDA213871)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via abrocitinib

  3. Indication expanded2023-12-14

    Indication expansion: ABROCITINIB (NDA213871)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via abrocitinib

  4. Indication expanded2023-02-09

    Indication expansion: ABROCITINIB (NDA213871)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via abrocitinib

  5. Indication expanded2022-06-13

    Indication expansion: BARICITINIB (NDA207924)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via baricitinib

  6. Indication expanded2022-05-10

    Indication expansion: BARICITINIB (NDA207924)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via baricitinib

  7. Regulatory approval2022-01-14

    Approval: ABROCITINIB (NDA213871)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via abrocitinib

  8. Regulatory approval2021-12-09

    Approval: Cibinqo (EMA)

    ema · regulatory · ema · via abrocitinib

  9. Label change2021-12-02

    Label change: BARICITINIB (NDA207924)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via baricitinib

  10. New publication2021-01-01
    Immunopathogenesis and treatment of cytokine storm in COVID-19.

    Theranostics · 2021 · 308 citations · Europe PMC · via baricitinib

  11. Safety communication2020-08-26

    Drug Safety Update: Baricitinib (Olumiant▼): increased risk of diverticulitis, particularly in patients with risk factors

    mhra · safety · mhra · via baricitinib

  12. Label change2020-07-08

    Label change: BARICITINIB (NDA207924)

    fda · regulatory · fda · via baricitinib

Objective event titles are shown unmodified; the event kind and significance line are derived from structured fields. Forefront AttentionEvent stream aggregating Europe PMC Regulatory filings ClinicalTrials.gov.