The contribution of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway to radioresistance in human gliomas: a review of preclinical and correlative clinical data

• Published in: International journal of radiation oncology, biology, physics Vol. 58; no. 3; pp. 927 - 931
• Main Authors: Chakravarti, Arnab, Dicker, Adam, Mehta, Minesh
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.03.2004; Elsevier
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Neoplasms - drug therapy; Brain Neoplasms - metabolism; Brain Neoplasms - radiotherapy; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm - physiology; EGFR; Glioma - drug therapy; Glioma - metabolism; Glioma - radiotherapy; Gliomas; Humans; Medical sciences; Neoplasm Proteins - physiology; Neuroglia - physiology; Radiation; Radiation Tolerance; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor - physiology; Signal Transduction - physiology; Technology. Biomaterials. Equipments. Material. Instrumentation; Gliomas; EGFR; Radiation; Biomedical engineering
• ISSN: 0360-3016; 1879-355X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2003.09.092

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) pathway is frequently upregulated in high-grade gliomas via gene amplification and by specific mutations that render EGFR constitutively active (EGFRvIII). This review highlights EGFR's role in mediating radiation resistance in gliomas: underlying molecular mechanisms, with discussion of relevant preclinical and clinical correlative data. Preclinical and emerging clinical data suggest that EGFR signaling plays a potentially important role in mediating radiation resistance in human gliomas. Targeting EGFR alone, or in combination with its downstream mediators, represents a promising new approach for the management of glioma patients.