For instance, the formation of the MUC4-ERBB2-ERBB3-NRG1 complex can suppress apoptosis (Carraway et al., 2002), while MUC13 has been identified as an oncogenic glycoprotein that promotes cancer cell growth (Sheng et al., 2016; Pang et al., 2022). This evidence concerns the gene NRG1 and cancer.