Recent Progress in Treating Airway Mucus Hypersecretion by Targeting the Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Signaling Pathway

ABSTRACT Asthma, chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis, and acute respiratory infections are severe respiratory conditions that significantly contribute to global morbidity and mortality. Airway mucus hypersecretion is an important common pathophysiological and clinical manifestation of these diseases and is closely associated with adverse clinical outcomes. At present, the management of airway mucus hypersecretion lacks a viable clinical intervention. However, the revelation that the EGFR signaling pathway acts as a convergent intracellular pathway for many inflammatory mediators indicates that it exhibits the greatest potential for inhibiting excessive mucus production. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the role of EGFR in airway mucus hypersecretion and the therapeutic progress of targeting it, intending to improve clinicians' understanding of the mechanism and offer insights and recommendations for developing novel pharmaceutical interventions to regulate mucus secretion.