ErbB signaling pathway

The ErbB signaling pathway refers to a network of signal transduction events mediated by the ErbB family of receptor tyrosine kinases, which includes EGFR (ErbB1/HER1), ErbB2 (HER2), ErbB3 (HER3), and ErbB4 (HER4)[1][2][7]. These receptors are activated by a variety of ligands (e.g., EGF, TGF-α, neuregulins), leading to receptor dimerization and activation of their intrinsic kinase activity, triggering autophosphorylation and downstream signaling through cascades such as PI3K/Akt, MAPK, and JAK/STAT. The pathway is central to cellular processes including proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and migration. Dysregulation of ErbB signaling is implicated in cancers and other diseases, making the individual ErbB receptors important therapeutic targets. Given the pathway's complexity and feedback regulation, most pharmacological interventions target specific ErbB receptors rather than the pathway as a whole[1][2][7].

Other names

ErbB/HER signaling pathwayEGFR family signalingHER family signaling

Inhibition of receptor tyrosine kinase activity (blocking ligand binding, receptor dimerization, or transphosphorylation) Induction of internalization/degradation of target receptor Blocking downstream signaling cascades (PI3K/Akt, Ras/MAPK, JAK/STAT)