title: The human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2).
abstract: The declared "war on cancer" aimed to eradicate this disease using our knowledge of cancer cell biology to develop novel therapeutics. One such target of these novel therapies has been the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) gene. Unique in the approach to abolishing function of this gene coded receptor, it was the first target of new monoclonal antibody therapy targeting the extracellular receptor and now also a target of small molecule drugs against the intracellular tyrosine kinase domain. In this instance, it was also one of the first applications of personalized medicine requiring companion diagnostics. In this manuscript, we review the biology and clinical applications of HER2 as a biomarker of disease and as a therapeutic target.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Dartmouth Medical School, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, USA. Laura.J.Tafe@hitchcock.org
authors.forename: Laura J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Tafe
authors.forename: Gregory J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Tsongalis
mesh_terms: D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D005260:Female; D005784:Gene Amplification; D006801:Humans; D017404:In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; C508053:ERBB2 protein, human