Epiregulin  (表皮调节素)

表皮调节素 (Epiregulin) 是表皮生长因子 (EGF) 家族的成员，是 46个氨基酸构成的单链多肽，其氨基酸序列与其他 EGF 相关的生长因子序列具有24-50% 的同源性。表皮调节素与 EGF 受体 EGFR、ErbB4 结合，通过配体诱导的与同源受体的异源二聚化，刺激 ErbB2 和 ErbB3 的信号转导，导致下游Ras-Raf 激活 MAPK-ERK 以及 PI3K-Akt 通路的激活，从而驱动细胞增殖。 表皮调节素具有双重功能：抑制多种上皮肿瘤细胞的生长；刺激成纤维细胞和其他各种类型的细胞的生长。表皮调节素已被证明能促进口腔上皮的伤口愈合，增强其他上皮组织的增殖，并参与多种上皮相关恶性肿瘤，如大肠癌、肺癌和膀胱癌。

Epiregulin is member of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) family which is a 46-amino-acid single chain polypeptide, and its amino acid sequence exhibited 24-50% amino acid sequence identity with sequences of other EGF-related growth factors. Epiregulin binds to the EGF receptor EGFR and ErbB4 and can stimulate signaling of ErbB2 and ErbB3 through ligand-induced heterodimerization with a cognate receptor, leading to activation of downstream Ras-Raf-mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK)-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) as well as the PI3K-Akt pathways to increase cellular proliferation. Epiregulin exhibited bifunctional regulatory properties: it inhibited the growth of several epithelial tumor cells and stimulated the growth of fibroblasts and various other types of cells. Epiregulin has been shown to promote wound healing in oral epithelium, enhance proliferation of other epithelial tissues, and is involved in several epithelial-related malignancies such as colorectal, lung, and bladder carcinoma.