Inactivation of Akt by the epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor erlotinib is mediated by HER-3 in pancreatic and colorectal tumor cell lines and contributes to erlotinib sensitivity.
Signaling through the receptor for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is frequently deregulated in solid tumors. Erlotinib (Tarceva, OSI-774, OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Melville, NY) is a low molecular weight, orally bioavailable inhibitor of the EGFR that has been approved for both non-small cell lung cancer and pancreatic cancers. Previous studies have indicated that sensitivity to EGFR antagonists correlated with HER-3 signaling for non-small cell lung cancer. Herein, we have sought to understand the signaling pathways that mediate erlotinib sensitivity for pancreatic and colorectal cancers. In a panel of 12 pancreatic tumor cell lines, we find that EGFR is coexpressed with HER-3 in all cell lines sensitive to erlotinib but not in insensitive cell lines. Erlotinib can block HER-3 phosphorylation in these sensitive cell lines, suggesting that HER-3 is transactivated by EGFR. Knockdown of HER-3 in BxPC3, an erlotinib-sensitive pancreatic tumor cell line, results in inhibition of the phosphorylation for both Akt and S6 and is associated with a decrease in cell proliferation and reduced sensitivity to erlotinib. Therefore, EGFR transactivation of HER-3 mediates Akt signaling and can contribute to erlotinib sensitivity for pancreatic tumors. We extended our analysis to a panel of 13 colorectal tumor cell lines and find that, like pancreatic, HER-3 is coexpressed with EGFR in the most erlotinib-sensitive cell lines but not in erlotinib-insensitive cell lines. These studies suggest that HER-3 could be used as a biomarker to select patients who are most likely to respond to erlotinib therapy.
Buck
Elizabeth
E
Department of Translational Research, OSI Pharmaceuticals, Inc., 1 Bioscience Park Drive, Farmingdale, NY 11787, USA. ebuck@osip.com
Eyzaguirre
Alexandra
A
Haley
John D
JD
Gibson
Neil W
NW
Cagnoni
Pablo
P
Iwata
Kenneth K
KK
D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D015179:Colorectal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism; D000069347:Erlotinib Hydrochloride; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D011494:Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020893:Receptor, ErbB-3 / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D019893:Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D015398:Signal Transduction; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011799:Quinazolines; D000069347:Erlotinib Hydrochloride; D011494:Protein Kinases; C546842:MTOR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D020893:Receptor, ErbB-3; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D019893:Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases; D058570:TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases