# EP4 (PTGER4)

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/ep4/  
OnCo record `ep4` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

EP4 is one of the receptors for prostaglandin E2, a signal many tumours release that quietens the immune cells around them. EP4 blockers are meant to lift that suppression, and two are in early trials, one with pembrolizumab.

## Summary

PTGER4, the EP4 receptor (chromosome 5p13.1), is a receptor for prostaglandin E2 that signals through G(s) proteins to stimulate adenylate cyclase (UniProt P35408). A 2017 Oncoimmunology study described prostaglandin E2 as a powerful immunosuppressor in the tumour microenvironment acting through its four receptors, EP1 to EP4; the oral EP4-specific antagonist E7046 inhibited prostaglandin E2-driven pro-tumour myeloid cells and reduced or rejected established mouse tumours in a manner dependent on myeloid and CD8 T cells (Albu et al., doi:10.1080/2162402X.2017.1338239). In OnCo, INV-1120 is an EP4 antagonist tested alone and with pembrolizumab, and DT-9081 an oral EP4 antagonist aimed at prostaglandin E2 made by COX-2-positive tumours.

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-11-03
- Also known as: EP4; prostaglandin E receptor 4; EP4 receptor
- Tags: pipeline-gap-target
- Symbol: PTGER4
- Class: other
- Biology: G protein-coupled receptor for prostaglandin E2 coupled to G(s) and cyclic AMP (UniProt P35408).
- Where found: Myeloid cells in the tumour microenvironment (doi:10.1080/2162402X.2017.1338239); Advanced solid tumours (INV-1120 and DT-9081 trials)

## Notes

- Prevalence not recorded: HGNC, UniProt and the paper cited give no positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:9596: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:9596
- UniProt P35408: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/P35408/entry
- NCBI Gene 5734: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/5734
- EP4 antagonism by E7046 diminishes myeloid immunosuppression (Oncoimmunology 2017): https://doi.org/10.1080/2162402X.2017.1338239

## Connected records

- cancers: [Metastatic cancer (cancer that has spread)](https://onco.cc/cancers/metastatic-cancer/)
- drugs: [DT-9081](https://onco.cc/drugs/dt-9081/), [INV-1120](https://onco.cc/drugs/inv-1120/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/ep4.json