Growth Arrest
Cells of healthy tissue, as well as cancer cells, require specific signals for their division and growth. Growth factors like the Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) in colorectal cancer are chemical messengers docking onto binding sites (receptors) on the cell surface. The activation of such binding sites initiates cell division. In case of an occupation of this binding site by a receptor blocker, EGF is blocked and the cancer cells will die.
Cetuximab, a monoclonal antibody, is one of these receptor blockers, used in combination with chemotherapy in the treatment of patients with advanced colorectal cancer, as well as Panitumumab, a humanized antibody better tolerated due to its human protein structure. Further research projects are still being done about EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors which are supposed to block the signal function of the EGF receptor.