Multiple endogenous receptors for secreted growth factors, cytokines, chemokines, and extracellular vesicle cargo

The term "Multiple endogenous receptors for secreted growth factors, cytokines, chemokines, and extracellular vesicle cargo" refers to a broad functional category rather than a single molecular target. This group encompasses several major classes of proteins, including receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) for growth factors, G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) for chemokines, and multimeric complexes for cytokines (UniProt, 2024). These receptors are essential for transducing extracellular signals into cellular responses, regulating processes such as growth, differentiation, and immune cell trafficking (NIH, 2023). Additionally, it includes receptors like integrins and proteoglycans that mediate the docking and uptake of extracellular vesicles (EVs), which are critical for long-range intercellular communication (Nature Reviews Molecular Cell Biology, 2020). Because this category aggregates hundreds of distinct proteins with diverse structures and functions, it is considered incorrect as a specific therapeutic target. Drug development typically focuses on individual members, such as the EGFR or TNF receptors, to achieve therapeutic specificity and minimize systemic toxicity.

Other names

Cell surface receptorsGrowth factor and cytokine receptorsSecretome receptorsExtracellular vesicle receptors

Ligand binding induces conformational changes, dimerization, or internalization, triggering intracellular signaling cascades such as JAK/STAT, PI3K/Akt, or MAPK/ERK pathways (PubMed, 2022).