Neuregulin in Health and Disease

Neuregulins, a family of EGF-like signaling molecules, are involved in cell-cell crosstalk and play an important role in development, maintenance and repair of the nervous system, heart, breast and other organs. Independent studies described a ligand for the oncogene ErbB2 (neu, Her2) and factors that stimulated proliferation of Schwann cells, as well as synthesis of receptors for acetylcholine by muscle. These ligands and factors are essentially products of the same gene, referred to by Marchionni M. as neuregulin (NRG-1).