A look at drugs that target EGFR in glioblastoma
Original title: Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor and Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors: Current and Emerging Strategies in Glioblastoma.
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This looks across many earlier studies rather than running a new one.
This is a summary of where the science stands, not a new result or a treatment you can get.
The short version
Drugs aimed at a common gene change in glioblastoma: A glioma that is given grade 4, the highest grade. It grows fast. Treatment usually starts soon after it is found. It often means surgery, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary have not helped people live longer.
What was studied. This is a review paper, not a new study. The authors went over what is known about a protein called EGFR and the drugs made to block it.
What they found. EGFR is the most common gene change in one main type of glioblastoma: A glioma that is given grade 4, the highest grade. It grows fast. Treatment usually starts soon after it is found. It often means surgery, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary. For a long time it looked like a good target for treatment. But the drugs that block EGFR have not helped people live longer. The authors point to a few reasons. The drugs have trouble getting into the brain. The tumor is not all the same inside. And the tumor learns to get around the drug.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: If you have heard that EGFR is a promising target, this review is honest about where things stand. So far, blocking EGFR has not helped people with glioblastoma: A glioma that is given grade 4, the highest grade. It grows fast. Treatment usually starts soon after it is found. It often means surgery, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary live longer. The authors do describe new ideas that may work better later on.
What it doesn't mean: This is a review of past work, not a new treatment or a new result. It does not mean there is a new EGFR drug you can ask for. It does not mean the ones already tried will start working. It is not a cure, and it is not close to changing your care today.
Source: PubMed, September 29, 2026 · Read the original
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