HER2-HER3 Inactive and Active Pairs (IMAGE) The Francis Crick Institute Caption Researchers found in the lab that lapatinib causes HER2 and HER3 to form pairs on cell membranes, priming them in an inactive state (left) so that when growth factors are present, they easily switch to an active pair (right) that signals to the cell to divide. Too much signalling causes cancer cells to grow aggressively. Credit Phospho Biomedical Animation Usage Restrictions None License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.