Highlight
- NEK7 identified as a key driver of acquired lenvatinib resistance in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
- NEK7 phosphorylates endothelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) specifically at serine 1070, activating downstream MAPK and PI3K/AKT pathways.
- Inhibitory peptides targeting the EGFR domain responsible for NEK7-mediated phosphorylation successfully suppress lenvatinib resistance in HCC models.
- Targeting the NEK7-EGFR interaction offers a novel therapeutic strategy to overcome treatment resistance in advanced HCC.
