Eph receptors and their Eph receptor-interacting (ephrin) ligands comprise a vital cell communication system with several functions. In cancer cells, there was evidence of bilateral Eph receptor signaling with both tumor-suppressing and tumor-promoting actions. As a member of the Eph receptor family, EphB4 has been linked to tumor angiogenesis, growth, and metastasis, which makes it a viable and desirable target for drug development in therapeutic applications. Many investigations have been conducted over the last decade to elucidate the structure and function of EphB4 in association with its ligand ephrinB2 for its involvement in tumorigenesis. Although several EphB4-targeting drugs have been investigated, and some selective inhibitors have been evaluated in clinical trials. This article addresses the structure and function of the EphB4 receptor, analyses its possibility as an anticancer therapeutic target, and summarises knowledge of EphB4 kinase inhibitors. To summarise, EphB4 is a difficult but potential treatment option for cancers.

中文翻译：

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EphB4 在癌症中表达的生物学意义

Eph 受体及其 Eph 受体相互作用（肝配蛋白）配体构成了具有多种功能的重要细胞通讯系统。在癌细胞中，有证据表明双侧 Eph 受体信号传导具有肿瘤抑制和肿瘤促进作用。作为 Eph 受体家族的一员，EphB4 与肿瘤血管生成、生长和转移有关，这使其成为治疗应用中药物开发的可行且理想的靶点。过去十年进行了许多研究，以阐明 EphB4 及其配体 ephrinB2 参与肿瘤发生的结构和功能。尽管已经研究了几种EphB4靶向药物，并且一些选择性抑制剂已经在临床试验中进行了评估。本文阐述了 EphB4 受体的结构和功能，分析了其作为抗癌治疗靶点的可能性，并总结了 EphB4 激酶抑制剂的知识。总而言之，EphB4 是一种困难但有潜力的癌症治疗选择。