Contents of this article

Useful Tools
Immunohistochemical Determination of EGFR-Tyrosine Kinase Inhibition in Clinical Samples
Abstract
The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family consists of four closely related transmembrane receptors including the EGFR (erbB1), erbB2 (HER2), erbB3 (HER3), and erbB4 (HER4). EGFR (erbB1) was the first member to be described and sequenced (1). The EGFR is a 170 kDa plasma membrane glycoprotein composed of a single polypeptide chain of 1186 amino acids (2,3). The receptor consists of an extracellular ligand-binding domain, a transmembrane lipophilic segment, and an intracellular tyrosine-kinase (TK) domain (4). Binding of the ligands such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transforming growth factor α (TGFα) to the extracellular ligand-binding domain results in receptor dimerization, activation of its intrinsic TK activity and autophosphorylation of the receptor (2). These effects lead to activation of a signal transduction cascade of biochemical and physiological changes that culminate in DNA synthesis, cell division, and inhibition of apoptosis (2).
Affiliation(s): (3) Department of Surgery, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, TX
(4) Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
(5) Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutic, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY
(6) Department of Surgery, Audie Murphy Veterans Administration Hospital, San Antonio, TX
Series: Methods in Molecular Medicine  |  Volume: 85  |  Pub. Date: Mar-26-2003  |  Page Range: 135-140  |  DOI: 10.1385/1-59259-380-1:135
Subject:  Cancer Research
Comments (Loading...)
Loading...