Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Validated Immunochemical Assay for Comprehensive Determination of the Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 Released from and Bound to Cells
08:28

Validated Immunochemical Assay for Comprehensive Determination of the Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2 Released from and Bound to Cells

Published on: May 9, 2025

[Cutaneous reactions due to the use of epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors: two case reports]

Camila Martins Rodarte1, Omar Ali Abdallah, Nadyesda Fagundes Barbosa

  • 1Clínica Médica, Hospital Geral de Goiânia, GO, Brasil. camilamrodarte@hotmail.com

Anais Brasileiros De Dermatologia
|March 2, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors treat cancers but cause skin reactions. Managing these side effects is crucial for effective cancer therapy.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Dermatology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) overexpression drives tumor development.
  • EGFR inhibitors are effective in treating various cancers, including head, neck, colon, and lung neoplasms.

Observation:

  • EGFR inhibition leads to cutaneous reactions in over 50% of patients.
  • Common skin toxicities include papulopustular lesions, xerosis, and hair/nail changes.
  • These reactions are typically reversible but can limit drug efficacy if severe.

Findings:

  • A direct correlation exists between the severity of cutaneous toxicity and the antitumoral response.
  • Managing dermatologic side effects is essential for maintaining therapeutic drug levels.

Implications:

  • An integrated dermatologic approach is necessary for optimizing EGFR inhibitor therapy.
  • Effective management of skin toxicities can improve patient outcomes and treatment adherence in oncology.

Related Concept Videos

Clinical Applications of Epidermal Stem Cells01:19

Clinical Applications of Epidermal Stem Cells

Epidermal stem cells (EpiSCs) are mainly located at the basal layer of the epidermis. These cells repair minor injuries of the skin and replace dead skin cells. However, EpiSCs’ cannot heal severe wounds such as major burns or those from diabetes or hereditary disorders. In such cases, culturing the epidermal stem cells from the patient is possible and has yielded successful treatment options, such as laboratory-grown skin grafts. These grafts are synthesized using a patient’s own EpiSCs...
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...
Drug Toxicity: Allergic Reactions01:30

Drug Toxicity: Allergic Reactions

Drug-related allergies are immune-mediated responses triggered by the administration of pharmacological agents. These hypersensitivity reactions are classified based on the immune mechanisms involved. The four primary types—Type I, II, III, and IV—are mediated by different immunological pathways and exhibit distinct clinical manifestations.Type I Hypersensitivity/ IgE-Mediated Reactions: Immunoglobulin E (IgE) immediately mediates Type I hypersensitivity reactions. Upon initial exposure to a...
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:
Renewal of Skin Epidermal Stem Cells01:12

Renewal of Skin Epidermal Stem Cells

The skin is divided into epidermis, dermis, and hypodermis, the skin's outermost, middle, and inner layers. The human epidermal layer regularly undergoes renewal, where old, dead cells are replaced by new cells. Epidermal stem cells or EpiSCs divide and differentiate to restore the lost cells. For the renewal process, some EpiSCs continuously self-renew. In contrast, few others differentiate into transit-amplifying cells, which later form prickle or spinous cells, followed by granular cells,...
Allergic Drug Reactions01:27

Allergic Drug Reactions

Allergic reactions related to drugs are hypersensitivity responses driven by the immune system and bear no connection to the drug's therapeutic action. While drugs in isolation do not trigger an immune response, they can interact with endogenous proteins to form antigens. These antigens stimulate lymphocytes to produce antibodies. IgE-type antibodies attach themselves to mast cells. Upon subsequent exposure to the same stimulus, the antigen-antibody interaction is initiated, unleashing numerous...