Cetuximab
Summary
Cetuximab is an endothelial growth factor receptor binding fragment used to treat colorectal cancer as well as squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.
Background
Cetuximab is a recombinant chimeric human/mouse IgG1 monoclonal antibody that competitively binds to epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and competitively inhibits the binding of epidermal growth factor (EGF). EGFR is a member of the ErbB family of receptor tyrosine kinases found in both normal and tumour cells; it is responsible for regulating epithelial tissue development and homeostasis. EGFR has been implicated in various types of cancer, as it is often overexpressed in malignant cells and EGFR overexpression has been linked to more advanced disease and poor prognosis. EGFR is often mutated in certain types of cancer and serves as a driver of tumorigenesis. In vitro, cetuximab was shown to mediate anti-tumour effects in numerous cancer cell lines and human tumour xenografts.
Protein Chemical Formula: C6484H10042N1732O2023S36
Protein Average Weight: 145781.6 Da