Natural Products Targeting EGFR Signaling Pathways as Potential Anticancer Drugs

The epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) belongs to ErbB family of tyrosine kinases, which plays an important role in the regulation of cell proliferation, survival, differentiation, and metastasis. In addition, tumors develop resistance to EGFR inhibitors due to the presence or development of point mutations in the tyrosine kinase domain of the receptor. There is an urgent need to develop new anti-EGFR agents with strong therapeutic activities. As the majority of anticancer drugs are of natural origin, natural products are a valuable source for the identification and development of novel treatment options for cancer. To identify promising new anti-tumor agents that act on the EGFR, numerous studies have been carried out and some investigators found natural products that could effectively inhibit the EGFR. This review summarizes the latest developments related to anti- EGFR agents derived from natural compounds and traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Keywords: EGFR, natural compounds, tyrosine kinase inhibitor, cancer, traditional chinese medicine, therapeutic agents.