Modeling Luminal breast cancer heterogeneity: Combination therapy to suppress hormone receptor negative cells in Luminal disease
Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT: Many Luminal breast cancers are heterogeneous, containing substantial numbers of estrogen (ER-) and progesterone (PR-) receptor-negative cells among the ER+PR+ ones. Currently, the Basal-like ER-PR- Luminobasal subpopulation in Luminal disease is not targeted for treatment. To address the relationships between ER+PR+ and ER-PR- cells in Luminal cancers and tightly control their ratios, we have generated isogenic pure Luminal (pLUM) and pure Luminobasal (pLB) cells from the same parental Luminal human breast cancer cell line. We show that pLUM suppress proliferation of pLB cells in mixed-cell 3D colonies in vitro and in pLUM:pLB mixed-cell xenografts in mice. High-throughput screening of FDA-approved oncology drugs reveal pLB cells are sensitive to the EGFR inhibitors Gefitinib and Erlotinib. In mixed-cell 3D colonies and mixed-cell solid mouse tumors, combination therapy with the antiestrogen Fulvestrant and the EGFRi Gefitinib constitutes a robust treatment strategy. We propose that response to combination endocrine/EGFRi therapies in heterogeneous Luminal cancers will improve long-term survival in patients whose primary tumors have been preselected for the appropriate biomarkers.
ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens
PROVIDER: GSE55350 | GEO | 2014/07/14
SECONDARY ACCESSION(S): PRJNA239373
REPOSITORIES: GEO
ACCESS DATA