# EPHA5

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/epha5/  
OnCo record `epha5` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

EPHA5 (Ephrin type-A receptor 5) is a protein kinase, an enzyme that switches other proteins on by adding phosphate groups. The public catalogues list it as a drug target, and an approved or late-stage drug is recorded against it. Tied to Thyroid cancer and Neuroendocrine tumours.

## Summary

Receptor tyrosine kinase which binds promiscuously GPI-anchored ephrin-A family ligands residing on adjacent cells, leading to contact-dependent bidirectional signalling into neighboring cells. The signalling pathway downstream of the receptor is referred to as forward signalling while the signalling pathway downstream of the ephrin ligand is referred to as reverse signalling. Among GPI-anchored ephrin-A ligands, EFNA5 most probably constitutes the cognate/functional ligand for EPHA5.

Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.65 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes literature 0.96, genetic association 0.39, clinical 0.93).

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: EPH receptor A5; Ephrin type-A receptor 5; Hek7; TYRO4; CEK7; EHK1
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: EPHA5
- Class: kinase
- Biology: Receptor tyrosine kinase which binds promiscuously GPI-anchored ephrin-A family ligands residing on adjacent cells, leading to contact-dependent bidirectional signalling into neighboring cells. The signalling pathway downstream of the receptor is referred to as forward signalling while the signalling pathway downstream of the ephrin ligand is referred to as reverse signalling. Among GPI-anchored ephrin-A ligands, EFNA5 most probably constitutes the cognate/functional ligand for EPHA5. Functions as an axon guidance molecule during development and may be involved in the development of the retinotectal, entorhino-hippocampal and hippocamposeptal pathways. Together with EFNA5 plays also a role in synaptic plasticity in adult brain through regulation of synaptogenesis. In addition to its function in the nervous system, the interaction of EPHA5 with EFNA5 mediates communication between pancreatic islet cells to regulate glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Location: Cell membrane; Cell projection, axon; Cell projection, dendrite (UniProt). Locus 4q13.1-q13.2 (HGNC).
- Where found: Thyroid cancer: Open Targets association 0.57 with thyroid cancer (MONDO_0002108); Neuroendocrine tumours: Open Targets association 0.54 with neuroendocrine neoplasm (MONDO_0019496)

## Notes

- Written by scripts/fetch-cancer-genes.ts from CIViC, Open Targets, IntOGen, HGNC and UniProt; the function text is UniProt's, condensed and in UK spelling. Roles: Open Targets known-drug datatype score 0.93. Evidence tier "approved-drug" is the strongest of those signals.
- Prevalence not recorded: none of the sources gives a positivity rate.

## Sources

- HGNC HGNC:3389: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:3389
- UniProt P54756: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/P54756/entry
- NCBI Gene 2044: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/2044
- Ensembl ENSG00000145242: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000145242

## Connected records

- collections: [Open Targets Platform](https://onco.cc/collections/open-targets/)
- cancers: [Neuroendocrine tumours](https://onco.cc/cancers/neuroendocrine/), [Thyroid cancer](https://onco.cc/cancers/thyroid/)

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JSON: https://onco.cc/api/v1/entities/epha5.json