Targeting Extracellular Signal-Regulated Protein Kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) in Cancer: An Update on Pharmacological Small-Molecule Inhibitors

Extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2), the only known substrate of MEK1/2, is located downstream of the RAS-RAF-MEK-ERK (MAPK) pathway and is associated with the abnormal activation and poor prognosis of cancer. To date, several small-molecule inhibitors of RAS, RAF, and MEK have been reported to make rapid advances in cancer therapy; however, acquired resistance still occurs, thereby weakening the therapeutic efficacy of these inhibitors. Recently, selective inhibition of ERK1/2 has been regarded as a potential cancer therapeutic strategy that can not only effectively block the MAPK pathway but also overcome drug resistance caused by upstream mutations in RAS, RAF, and MEK. Herein, we summarize the oncogenic roles, key signaling network, and the single- and dual-target inhibitors of ERK1/2 in preclinical and clinical trials. Together, these inspiring findings shed new light on the discovery of more small-molecule inhibitors of ERK1/2 as candidate drugs to improve cancer therapeutics.