Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-related protein inhibits multiple members of the EGFR family in colon and breast cancer cells.
Inactivation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) family members represents a promising strategy for the development of selective therapies against epithelial cancers. Current anti-EGFR therapies, such as cetuximab (Erbitux), gefitinib (Iressa), or trastuzumab (Herceptin), target EGFR or HER-2 but not both. Because solid tumors express different EGFRs, identification of inhibitor(s), targeting multiple EGFR family members may provide a therapeutic benefit to a broader patient population. We have identified a natural inhibitor of EGFRs called EGFR-related protein (ERRP), a 53 to 55 kDa protein that is present in most, if not all, normal human epithelial cells. The growth of colon (HCT-116, Caco2, and HT-29) and breast (MDA-MB-468 and SKBR-3) cancer cells expressing varying levels of EGFR, HER-2, and/or HER-4 was inhibited by recombinant ERRP in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast, ERRP caused no inhibition of growth of normal mouse fibroblast cell lines (NIH-3T3, NIH-3T3/P67), and the growth of nontransformed rat small intestinal IEC-6 cells expressing relatively low levels of EGFRs was inhibited only at high doses of ERRP. Transforming growth factor-alpha or heparin-binding epidermal growth factor-induced activation of EGFR and HER-2 was inhibited by ERRP in colon and breast cancer cells expressing high levels of EGFR or HER-2. In contrast, cetuximab inhibited the growth- and ligand-induced activation of EGFR in cell lines expressing high levels of EGFR, whereas trastuzumab was effective only in HER-2-overexpressing cells. ERRP and trastuzumab, but not cetuximab, attenuated heregulin-alpha-induced activation of colon and breast cancer cells that expressed high levels of HER-2. Furthermore, ERRP, but not cetuximab or trastuzumab, significantly induced apoptosis of colon and breast cancer cells. None of these agents induced apoptosis of either NIH-3T3 mouse fibroblast or normal rat small intestinal IEC cells. Our results suggest that ERRP is an effective pan-erbB inhibitor and, thus, may be a potential therapeutic agent for a wide variety of epithelial cancers expressing different levels and subclasses of EGFRs.
Xu
Hu
H
John D. Dingell Veterans Affairs Medical Center, 4646 John R, Room B-4238, Detroit, MI 48201, USA.
Yu
Yingjie
Y
Marciniak
Dorota
D
Rishi
Arun K
AK
Sarkar
Fazlul H
FH
Kucuk
Omer
O
Majumdar
Adhip P N
AP
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000494:pharmacology; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D000068818:Cetuximab; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry*; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008024:Ligands; D051379:Mice; D041681:NIH 3T3 Cells; D020890:Neuregulin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D051381:Rats; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D000068878:Trastuzumab; D014443:Tyrosine / Q000737:chemistry
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D061067:Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D000068818:Cetuximab; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D006023:Glycoproteins; D008024:Ligands; D020890:Neuregulin-1; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D000068878:Trastuzumab; D014443:Tyrosine; C117463:heregulin alpha; C512478:EGFR protein, human