Ether-à-go-go 2 and Potassium voltage-gated channel subfamily A regulatory beta subunit 2 complex (EAG2-Kvβ2)

The EAG2-Kvβ2 complex is a recently identified protein-protein interaction that forms a unique potassium channel complex specifically in glioblastoma cells. Discovered by researchers at The Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) in 2023, this complex is fundamental to the aggressive nature of glioblastoma, the most common and lethal primary brain cancer. The interaction between EAG2 (KCNH5) and Kvβ2 (KCNAB2) facilitates communication between neurons and glioblastoma cells, driving tumor growth, diffuse invasion into healthy brain tissue, and resistance to standard treatments like temozolomide. Because this specific complex appears to form only in cancerous cells and not in healthy brain tissue, it represents a highly selective therapeutic target. Experimental designer peptides have been developed to disrupt this interaction, showing robust efficacy in preclinical models by slowing tumor spread and inducing cancer cell death across all major glioblastoma subtypes.

Other names

EAG2-Kvβ2 complexKCNH5-KCNAB2 interactionEAG2-Kvbeta2 potassium channelSickKids glioblastoma target