HER2 Biological Pathways Reviews
HER2
ERBB2; CD340; HER-2; HER-2/neu; HER2; MLN 19; NEU; NGL; TKR1; erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2
Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is 1 of 4 transmembrane tyrosine kinase receptor proteins in the epidermal growth factor receptor family.1,2 Normally expressed on epithelial cellular membranes of organs such as breast and skin, HER2 exists in other tissues, including gastrointestinal, respiratory, reproductive, urinary tract tissues, and more.2,3
HER2-positive status is both a prognostic indicator of poor outcomes and predictive biomarker of treatment response to HER2-targeted therapies.2,4 The effectiveness of emerging therapies, such as HER2-specific antibodies and antibody-drug conjugates, somewhat depends on the ability of agents to bind to cell surface targets then efficiently internalize and accumulate the cytotoxic agent while preserving host tissues.4
Understanding the Role of HER2
This animation explains the role of HER2 in the regulation of cell growth and the negative effects of HER2 overexpression.
Expression in Cancer
HER2-positivity is found in a variety of cancer types. The graphic below displays the expression of HER2-positivity in up to a certain percentage of cases in each cancer type.