hEGFR Mouse

The Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) gene (also known as ERBB1 or HER1) encodes a transmembrane glycoprotein that belongs to the protein kinase superfamily. It is widely expressed in various cellular tissues, including epithelial and mesenchymal cells, bone cells, blood and immune cells, heart cells, glia, and stem neural cells, and is particularly abundant in the placenta ^[1]. Its primary function is to act as a receptor for members of the epidermal growth factor family, such as EGF and TGF-alpha. Upon ligand binding, EGFR undergoes dimerization and tyrosine autophosphorylation, initiating crucial downstream signaling pathways (like RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK and PI3 kinase-AKT) that regulate essential cellular processes including proliferation, survival, differentiation, and migration ^[2]. Aberrant gene expression, particularly overexpression, amplification, or activating mutations in EGFR, leads to its constitutive activation, promoting uncontrolled cell growth and survival ^[3]. This dysregulation is a significant factor in the development and progression of numerous cancers, most notably non-small cell lung cancer (especially adenocarcinoma), glioblastoma, colorectal carcinoma, and breast carcinoma, making EGFR a key target for personalized cancer therapies ^[4].

The hEGFR mouse is a humanized model constructed by replacing exon 2 and part of intron 2 of the mouse Egfr gene with the EGFR Chimeric cDNA-WPRE BGH pA cassette. The murine signal peptide and partial extracellular domain are preserved. hEGFR mice can be used for research into the pathogenesis of various cancers, including non-small cell lung cancer (adenocarcinoma), glioblastoma, colorectal cancer, and breast cancer, as well as for the screening, development, and safety assessment of EGFR-targeted therapies.