Current developments in extracellular-regulated protein kinase (ERK1/2) inhibitors

Extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) are important members of the RAS signaling pathway. They are abnormally expressed in many diseases and, thus, are considered key therapeutic targets of human diseases. In this review, we summarize the importance of the ERK1/2 signaling pathway in the treatment of different diseases and inhibitors of ERK1/2 in clinical or preclinical research. We also discuss the main approaches used to discover ERK inhibitors, including the application and advantages of computer-aided drug design (CADD) approaches.