# EPHA8

Source: https://onco.cc/targets/epha8/  
OnCo record `epha8` (Target). Data CC BY-NC 4.0, attribute "Data from OnCo (onco.cc)"; commercial use needs a licence.

## TL;DR

EPHA8 (Ephrin type-A receptor 8) 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 Neuroendocrine tumours and Thyroid cancer.

## 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. The GPI-anchored ephrin-A EFNA2, EFNA3, and EFNA5 are able to activate EPHA8 through phosphorylation.

Open Targets scores its association with cancer at 0.59 (direct and indirect evidence; datatypes literature 0.62, genetic association 0.00, clinical 0.93).

## Fields

- Kind: Target
- Last checked: 2026-09-23
- Also known as: EPH receptor A8; Ephrin type-A receptor 8; Hek3
- Tags: cancer-genes-wave
- Symbol: EPHA8
- 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. The GPI-anchored ephrin-A EFNA2, EFNA3, and EFNA5 are able to activate EPHA8 through phosphorylation. With EFNA5 may regulate integrin-mediated cell adhesion and migration on fibronectin substrate but also neurite outgrowth. During development of the nervous system also plays a role in axon guidance. Downstream effectors of the EPHA8 signalling pathway include FYN which promotes cell adhesion upon activation by EPHA8 and the MAP kinases in the stimulation of neurite outgrowth. Location: Cell membrane; Cell projection; Early endosome membrane (UniProt). Locus 1p36.12 (HGNC).
- Where found: Neuroendocrine tumours: Open Targets association 0.62 with neuroendocrine neoplasm (MONDO_0019496); Thyroid cancer: Open Targets association 0.56 with thyroid cancer (MONDO_0002108)

## 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:3391: https://www.genenames.org/data/gene-symbol-report/#!/hgnc_id/HGNC:3391
- UniProt P29322: https://www.uniprot.org/uniprotkb/P29322/entry
- NCBI Gene 2046: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/2046
- Ensembl ENSG00000070886: https://www.ensembl.org/Homo_sapiens/Gene/Summary?g=ENSG00000070886

## 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/epha8.json