Brief Overview about EGFR family

As researcher about life science, we are very familiar with the EGFR gene. However, someone suddenly ask me, What is the EGFR? Can you answer about that? This post will give you a brief overview of EGFR.

What is the EGFR family?

The full name of EGFR is Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor, and it has family. The EGFR family is a group of receptor tyrosine kinases that play important roles in the regulation of cell growth, proliferation, diffferentiation, and survival. The family consists of four members: EGFR (also known as ErbB1 or HER1), ErbB2 (also known as HER2 or Neu), ErbB3 (also known as HER3), and ErbB4 (also known as HER4). These receptors are involved in various cellular processes and have been implicated in the development and progression of various cancers.

Activation of EGFR

As above mentioned, EGFR is a receptor. Upon binding of specific ligands, such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) and other growth factors, the receptors form homo- or heterodimes, which activates their intrinsic kinase domain, leading to the phosphorylation of specific tyrosine residues. This phosphorylation triggers a cascade of downstream signaling pathways, such as MAPK, PI3K/AKT, and JAK/STAT pathway, which regulate cellular processes like cell growth, and survival.

Dysregulation of EGFR

The de-regulation of EGFR family members, particularly through overexpression or mutation, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous human cancers, including nono-small lung cancer, breast cancer, colorectal cancer and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. As a result, these receptors have become important therapeutic targets, and several drugs have been developed to target their activity, including monocolonoal antibodies and small molecule tyrosin kinase inhibitors.

Conclusion

Overall, the EGFR family is a critical component of cellular signalling and has significant implications for both normal cellular function and the development of cancer. Understanding and targeting these receptors may lead to improved therapies for cancer patients.