Members of the extended growth factor receptor (EGFR) family are implicated in numerous controlling mechanisms, from cell growth to proliferation to cell death. The EGFR, also known as c-erbB1 or Her1, is a 170 kD plasma membrane-bound tyrosine kinase; when bound by a ligand, the receptors undergo homo- or heterodimerization resulting in autophosphorylation of tyrosine residues. The latter serve as ?docking sites? for a variety of signaling protein that regulate important cellular functions. When EGFR-mediated pathways are dysregulated, tumor genesis and tumor progression may ensue; indeed, about one third of all human epithelial cancers express high levels of EGFR. A group lead by S. Modi, at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, NY, has recently updated the information available on EGFR inhibition.
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