Cancer remains one of the most significant public health challenges worldwide, with breast cancer representing the most commonly diagnosed malignancy in women. Despite remarkable advances in early detection and treatment modalities, chemotherapy resistance, disease recurrence, and treatment-related toxicity continue to prevent complete remission in many patients. The development of targeted therapies has revolutionized cancer treatment, yet the emergence of drug resistance and the substantial side effect burden of conventional therapies underscore the urgent need for complementary therapeutic strategies.
Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2/neu, also known as proto-oncogene ErbB2) has emerged as one of the most critical therapeutic targets in oncology. HER2 is a transmembrane receptor tyrosine kinase that belongs to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family. Overexpression of HER2 occurs in approximately 20-30% of breast cancers and is associated with aggressive tumor behavior, increased metastatic potential, and historically poor prognosis.1 The HER2 protein plays a pivotal role in cell proliferation, survival, and differentiation through activation of downstream signaling cascades, particularly the PI3K/Akt and MAPK/ERK pathways. When overexpressed, HER2 drives uncontrolled cell growth and confers resistance to apoptosis, making it an ideal target for therapeutic intervention.2,3










0 Comments