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Oncogenic functions and therapeutic targeting of EphA2 in cancer

Oncogene volume 40, pages 2483–2495 (2021)Cite this article

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Abstract

More than 25 years of research and preclinical validation have defined EphA2 receptor tyrosine kinase as a promising molecular target for clinical translation in cancer treatment. Molecular, genetic, biochemical, and pharmacological targeting strategies have been extensively tested in vitro and in vivo, and drugs like dasatinib, initially designed to target SRC family kinases, have been found to also target EphA2 activity. Other small molecules, therapeutic targeting antibodies, and peptide-drug conjugates are being tested, and more recently, approaches harnessing antitumor immunity against EphA2-expressing cancer cells have emerged as a promising strategy. This review will summarize preclinical studies supporting the oncogenic role of EphA2 in breast cancer, lung cancer, glioblastoma, and melanoma, while delineating the differing roles of canonical and noncanonical EphA2 signaling in each setting. This review also summarizes completed and ongoing clinical trials, highlighting the promise and challenges of targeting EphA2 in cancer.

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Fig. 1: Eph receptor tyrosine kinase structure and function.
Fig. 2: EphA2 therapeutic targeting strategies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA

    Kalin Wilson & Eileen Shiuan

  2. Division of Rheumatology and Immunology, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA

    Dana M. Brantley-Sieders

  3. Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, 37232, USA

    Dana M. Brantley-Sieders

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  1. Kalin Wilson
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Wilson, K., Shiuan, E. & Brantley-Sieders, D.M. Oncogenic functions and therapeutic targeting of EphA2 in cancer. Oncogene 40, 2483–2495 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41388-021-01714-8

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