Trastuzumab (Herceptin), a humanized anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody, has been demonstrated to confer a clear survival benefit when it is added to standard chemotherapy for HER2-overexpressing breast cancer. Unfortunately, however, only 30-40% of HER2-positive breast tumors respond to trastuzumab. In this proposal, we will explore whether erythropoietin (EPO)-induced cell signaling plays a role in breast cancer resistance to trastuzumab. EPO is a prime hematopoietic cytokine produced mainly by a group of specialized cells in the kidney and acts on erythroid progenitor cells in the bone marrow, leading to erythropoiesis. Recombinant human EPO (rHuEPO) is frequently used in cancer patients to prevent and alleviate cancer- and cancer treatment-related anemia and fatigue. Recent studies have shown that EPO has remarkable cytoprotective activity in nonhematopoietic tissues via activation of the EPO receptor (EpoR) found in these tissues. Interestingly, EpoR is also present in some clinical tumor specimens, particularly tumor specimens from breast cancer patients. As a member of the type I cytokine receptor family, EpoR homodimerizes upon EPO binding, triggering activation of the receptor-associated kinase Jak2, subsequent phosphorylation of STAT5, and a signal transduction cascade mediated by SH2 domain-containing adaptors that overlaps substantially with HER2-mediated signaling pathways. We found in our preliminary studies that EpoR is co-expressed with HER2 in a significant number of established breast cancer cell lines and breast cancer tissue specimens from patients. Exposure of breast cancer cells to rHuEPO activated cell signaling in an EpoR expression-dependent manner, and concurrent treatment of HER2/EpoR dual-positive breast cancer cells with trastuzumab and rHuEPO reduced the therapeutic response to trastuzumab treatment. We hypothesize that cell signaling in response to concurrent administration of rHuEPO constitutes a clinically relevant mechanism of breast cancer resistance to trastuzumab. We plan to test this hypothesis in four specific aims: 1) to confirm the cytoprotective effect of rHuEPO against trastuzumab in HER2/EpoR dual-positive breast cancer cells;2) to determine the extent to which concurrent administration of rHuEPO counteracts the antitumor activity of trastuzumab in HER2/EpoR dual-positive breast cancer xenografts;3) to elucidate the EpoR downstream signaling pathways through activation of which rHuEPO mediates cytoprotection against trastuzumab;and 4) to confirm the presence of HER2 and EpoR co-expression and to determine its frequency in tumor specimens from breast cancer patients. Attainment of these aims will reveal whether EPO/EpoR signaling contributes to trastuzumab resistance. A positive finding will warrant further investigation of whether rHuEPO should continue to be administered concurrently with trastuzumab in breast cancer patients.

Public Health Relevance

The drug erythropoietin (EPO) is often given to breast cancer patients to help prevent or lessen treatment-related anemia and fatigue;however, some evidence from our laboratory and others suggests that EPO might make breast cancer resistant to the anti-breast cancer drug trastuzumab. We will investigate this possibility. Our findings may indicate that EPO should not be administered to breast cancer patients who are being treated with trastuzumab.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01CA129036-02
Application #
7599640
Study Section
Basic Mechanisms of Cancer Therapeutics Study Section (BMCT)
Program Officer
Forry, Suzanne L
Project Start
2008-04-02
Project End
2013-01-31
Budget Start
2009-02-01
Budget End
2010-01-31
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
2009
Total Cost
$319,550
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Department
Miscellaneous
Type
Other Domestic Higher Education
DUNS #
800772139
City
Houston
State
TX
Country
United States
Zip Code
77030
Chaganty, Bharat K R; Qiu, Songbo; Gest, Anneliese et al. (2018) Trastuzumab upregulates PD-L1 as a potential mechanism of trastuzumab resistance through engagement of immune effector cells and stimulation of IFN? secretion. Cancer Lett 430:47-56
Lu, Yang; Shi, Chunmei; Qiu, Songbo et al. (2016) Identification and validation of COX-2 as a co-target for overcoming cetuximab resistance in colorectal cancer cells. Oncotarget 7:64766-64777
Ai, Zhihong; Lu, Yang; Qiu, Songbo et al. (2016) Overcoming cisplatin resistance of ovarian cancer cells by targeting HIF-1-regulated cancer metabolism. Cancer Lett 373:36-44
Li, Xinqun; Lu, Yang; Lu, Haiquan et al. (2015) AMPK-mediated energy homeostasis and associated metabolic effects on cancer cell response and resistance to cetuximab. Oncotarget 6:11507-18
Liang, Ke; Qiu, Songbo; Lu, Yang et al. (2014) Autocrine/paracrine erythropoietin regulates migration and invasion potential and the stemness of human breast cancer cells. Cancer Biol Ther 15:89-98
Ai, Midan; Qiu, Songbo; Lu, Yang et al. (2013) HER2 regulates Brk/PTK6 stability via upregulating calpastatin, an inhibitor of calpain. Cell Signal 25:1754-61
Ai, Midan; Liang, Ke; Lu, Yang et al. (2013) Brk/PTK6 cooperates with HER2 and Src in regulating breast cancer cell survival and epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Cancer Biol Ther 14:237-45
Lu, Haiquan; Li, Xinqun; Luo, Zhongguang et al. (2013) Cetuximab reverses the Warburg effect by inhibiting HIF-1-regulated LDH-A. Mol Cancer Ther 12:2187-99
Lu, Haiquan; Liang, Ke; Lu, Yang et al. (2012) The anti-EGFR antibody cetuximab sensitizes human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells to radiation in part through inhibiting radiation-induced upregulation of HIF-1?. Cancer Lett 322:78-85
Li, X; Lu, Y; Liang, K et al. (2012) Brk/PTK6 sustains activated EGFR signaling through inhibiting EGFR degradation and transactivating EGFR. Oncogene 31:4372-83

Showing the most recent 10 out of 15 publications