Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor

 The epidermal growth factor family of receptor tyrosine kinases (ErbBs) plays essential roles in regulating cell proliferation, survival, differentiation and migration. The ErbB receptors carry out both redundant and restricted functions in mammalian development and in the maintenance of tissues in the adult mammal. Loss of regulation of the ErbB receptors underlies many human diseases, most notably cancer. Our understanding of the function and complex regulation of these receptors has fueled the development of targeted therapeutic agents for human malignancies in the last 15 years. Here we review the biology of ErbB receptors, including their structure, signaling, regulation, and roles in development and disease, then briefly touch on their increasing roles as targets for cancer therapy. Growth factors are essential for the development, growth and homeostasis of multicellular organisms. Acting through cell surface receptors, growth factors are required for cell-cell communications underlying embryonic tissue induction, fate determination, cell survival, apoptosis, tissue specialization and cell migration. Growth factor receptors transduce extracellular signals through the activation of intracellular messengers or directly through receptor translocation to the nucleus. Of the receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family of RTKs, also called ErbB or HER receptors, is one of the most extensively studied for its role in development, physiology, and human cancer