Neuregulin Autocrine Signaling Promotes Self-Renewal of Breast Tumor-Initiating Cells by Triggering HER2/HER3 Activation CANCER RESEARCH Lee, C. Y., Lin, Y., Bratman, S. V., Feng, W., Kuo, A. H., Scheeren, F. A., Engreitz, J. M., Varma, S., West, R. B., Diehn, M. 2014; 74 (1): 341-352

Abstract

Currently, only patients with HER2-positive tumors are candidates for HER2-targeted therapies. However, recent clinical observations suggest that the survival of patients with HER2-low breast cancers, who lack HER2 amplification, may benefit from adjuvant therapy that targets HER2. In this study, we explored a mechanism through which these benefits may be obtained. Prompted by the hypothesis that HER2/HER3 signaling in breast tumor-initiating cells (TIC) promotes self-renewal and survival, we obtained evidence that neuregulin 1 (NRG1) produced by TICs promotes their proliferation and self-renewal in HER2-low tumors, including in triple-negative breast tumors. Pharmacologic inhibition of EGFR, HER2, or both receptors reduced breast TIC survival and self-renewal in vitro and in vivo and increased TIC sensitivity to ionizing radiation. Through a tissue microarray analysis, we found that NRG1 expression and associated HER2 activation occurred in a subset of HER2-low breast cancers. Our results offer an explanation for why HER2 inhibition blocks the growth of HER2-low breast tumors. Moreover, they argue that dual inhibition of EGFR and HER2 may offer a useful therapeutic strategy to target TICs in these tumors. In generating a mechanistic rationale to apply HER2-targeting therapies in patients with HER2-low tumors, this work shows why these therapies could benefit a considerably larger number of patients with breast cancer than they currently reach.

View details for DOI 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-13-1055

View details for Web of Science ID 000329297600033

View details for PubMedID 24177178

View details for PubMedCentralID PMC3917843