Definition
The EGFR receptor (EGFR) is a member of the HER family of receptor tyrosine kinases that includes EGFR itself (ErbB1/HER1), ErbB2 (HER2/neu), ErbB3 (HER3), and ErbB4 (HER4). These proteins are classic membrane-bound tyrosine kinase receptors whose activation is typically ligand dependent. The principal ligands for EGFR are EGF and TGF-α. Other ligands include amphiregulin, heparin-binding EGF, the poxvirus mitogens, epiregulin, and β-cellulin.
Characteristics
EGFR Activation and Downstream Signaling
Receptor activation results in homo- or heterodimerization and autophosphorylation of c-terminal tyrosine residues. Receptor activation enables the docking of cytoplasmic proteins that bind to specific phosphotyrosine residues and initiate several cell signaling pathways. These pathways include the Ras-Raf-MAPK pathway, the PI3K-AKT pathway, the protein kinase C pathway, the STAT pathway, and the src kinase pathway, all of which play important roles in tumor cell proliferation,...
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Subramaniam, D.S., Hartley, M., Pishvaian, M., He, R., Marshall, J.L. (2015). Epidermal Growth Factor Inhibitors. In: Schwab, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Cancer. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_1931-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-27841-9_1931-3
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