ErbB receptor family (ErbB family)

The ErbB receptor family, also known as the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) or HER family, consists of four closely related type I receptor tyrosine kinases: EGFR (ErbB1), HER2 (ErbB2), HER3 (ErbB3), and HER4 (ErbB4) (Wikipedia, 2024; UniProt, 2024). These receptors play a critical role in regulating essential cellular processes, including growth, proliferation, differentiation, and survival, through the activation of downstream signaling pathways such as MAPK/ERK and PI3K/Akt (NIH, 2024). Dysregulation of ErbB signaling, often through gene amplification, overexpression, or activating mutations, is a hallmark of various malignancies, including non-small cell lung cancer, breast cancer, and colorectal cancer (PubMed, 2023). Consequently, this family has become a primary focus for targeted cancer therapies, leading to the development of small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and monoclonal antibodies (StatPearls, 2024). While these therapies have significantly improved patient outcomes, challenges such as acquired resistance and off-target toxicities like skin rash and cardiotoxicity remain significant clinical hurdles (NIH, 2024).

Other names

Epidermal growth factor receptor familyHER familyType I receptor tyrosine kinase family

Small molecule inhibition of the intracellular tyrosine kinase domain and monoclonal antibody-mediated blockade of extracellular ligand binding or receptor dimerization.