Members of the epidermal growth factor receptor family (ErbB family) possess a wide distribution and diverse functions ranging from cellular growth to migration and apoptosis. Though highly implicated in a variety of cancers, their involvement in infectious disease is less recognised. A growing body of evidence now highlights the importance of the ErbB family in a variety of infections. Their role as growth factor receptors, along with other characteristics, such as surface expression and continuous intracellular trafficking, make this receptor family ideally placed for exploitation by pathogens. Herein, we review our current understanding of the role of the ErbB family in the context of infectious disease, exploring the mechanisms that govern pathogen exploitation of this system.

表皮生长因子受体家族（ErbB家族）的成员具有广泛的分布，其功能范围从细胞生长到迁移和凋亡。尽管它们与多种癌症高度相关，但人们对它们参与传染病的认识却很少。现在越来越多的证据凸显了ErbB家族在各种感染中的重要性。它们作为生长因子受体的作用以及其他特征，例如表面表达和连续的细胞内运输，使该受体家族成为病原体开发的理想场所。本文中，我们回顾了我们目前对ErbB家族在传染病中的作用的理解，探讨了控制该系统病原体开发的机制。