Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Systems Biology of Metabolic Regulation by Estrogen Receptor Signaling in Breast Cancer
10:36

Systems Biology of Metabolic Regulation by Estrogen Receptor Signaling in Breast Cancer

Published on: March 17, 2016

The ErbB2 signaling network as a target for breast cancer therapy

Ali Badache1, Anthony Gonçalves

  • 1UMR599 Inserm, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Marseille, 27 bd Leï Roure, 13009 Marseille, France. badache@marseille.inserm.fr

Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia
|September 2, 2006
PubMed

Insights

Overexpression of the ErbB2/Her2 receptor tyrosine kinase drives aggressive breast cancers. Targeting ErbB2 shows promise, but further research is needed to improve patient response and reduce recurrence risks.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cancer Therapeutics

Background:

  • Overexpression of the ErbB2/Her2 receptor tyrosine kinase is linked to aggressive breast cancers.
  • ErbB2 exhibits key cancer cell characteristics like uncontrolled proliferation and motility.
  • ErbB2 is a specific, accessible cell surface target amenable to drug inhibition.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the therapeutic potential of targeting ErbB2 in breast cancer.
  • To highlight the clinical efficacy of ErbB2-targeting therapies.
  • To identify the need for further research into ErbB2-driven signaling pathways.

Main Methods:

  • Review of experimental studies on ErbB2 function in cancer.
  • Analysis of clinical results from ErbB2-targeting therapies.
  • Investigation of signaling networks in ErbB2-driven cancers.

Main Results:

  • ErbB2 overexpression confers cancer-like properties and is specific to tumor cells.
  • ErbB2-targeting drugs have demonstrated clinical efficacy in breast cancer treatment.
  • Current therapies show success in only a fraction of patients, with high recurrence rates.

Conclusions:

  • ErbB2 is a validated therapeutic target for aggressive breast cancers.
  • ErbB2-targeting therapy offers a promising avenue for breast cancer treatment.
  • Deeper understanding of ErbB2 signaling networks is crucial for improved therapeutic strategies and outcomes.

Related Concept Videos

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression03:03

mTOR Signaling and Cancer Progression

The mammalian target of rapamycin or mTOR protein was discovered in 1994 due to its direct interaction with rapamycin. The protein gets its name from a yeast homolog called TOR. The mTOR protein complex in mammalian cells plays a major role in balancing anabolic processes such as the synthesis of proteins, lipids, and nucleotides and catabolic processes, such as autophagy in response to environmental cues, such as availability of nutrients and growth factors.
The mTOR pathway or the...
Transducer Mechanism: Enzyme-Linked Receptors01:27

Transducer Mechanism: Enzyme-Linked Receptors

Enzyme-linked receptors are cell-surface receptors acting as an enzyme or associating with an enzyme intracellularly. They make excellent drug targets. Drugs can bind to the extracellular ligand-binding domain or directly affect their enzymatic domain and alter their activity.
Major types that are helpful drug targets include: