HER family in cancer progression: From discovery to 2020 and beyond.

HER family in cancer progression: From discovery to 2020 and beyond. Adv Cancer Res. 2020;147:109-160 Authors: Kumar R, George B, Campbell MR, Verma N, Paul AM, Melo-Alvim C, Ribeiro L, Pillai MR, da Costa LM, Moasser MM Abstract The human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER) family of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are among the first layer of molecules that receive, interpret, and transduce signals leading to distinct cancer cell phenotypes. Since the discovery of the tooth-lid factor-later characterized as the epidermal growth factor (EGF)-and its high-affinity binding EGF receptor, HER kinases have emerged as one of the commonly upregulated or hyperactivated or mutated kinases in epithelial tumors, thus allowing HER1-3 family members to regulate several hallmarks of cancer development and progression. Each member of the HER family exhibits shared and unique structural features to engage multiple receptor activation modes, leading to a range of overlapping and distinct phenotypes. EGFR, the founding HER family member, provided the roadmap for the development of the cell surface RTK-directed targeted cancer therapy by serving as a prototype/precursor for the currently used HER-directed cancer drugs. We herein provide a brief account of the discoveries, defining moments, and historical context of the HER family and guidepost advances in basic, translational, and clinical research that solidified a prominent position of the HER f...
Source: Advances in Cancer Research - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Adv Cancer Res Source Type: research