Inducing Increased ER expression in ER negative/low HER2 pos

[AlaskaAngel]

Using trastuzumab to induce increased expression


http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00726180?cond=breast+cancer&rcv_s=07%2F19%2F2008&rank=4

[chrisy]

Hmm.

So is the thinking there that you would use Herceptin to "create" ER positivity so it could be targeted with something else? (tamox of AI?)

[AlaskaAngel]

That is how I read it, Chrisy. They don' say why they think trastuzumab would induce greater HR positivity, but maybe someone else here might have some idea.

A.A.

[chrisy]

AA - This makes sense to me based what I've heard/learned about acquired resistance - to tamoxifen, herceptin, whatever. When you block one pathway, the cells create, or activate another pathway. The origin of "our favorite study" at Baylor (blocking all the pathways = "cure" in mice) was to find ways to restore ER sensitivity after tamoxifen resistance.

This is why it's so important to try an figure out all the possible escape routes - and block them all!