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Frontiers in Immunology 2023Human epithelial growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) plays an oncogenic role in numerous tumors, including breast, gastric, and various other solid tumors. While anti-HER2...
Human epithelial growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) plays an oncogenic role in numerous tumors, including breast, gastric, and various other solid tumors. While anti-HER2 therapies are approved for the treatment of HER2-positive tumors, a necessity persists for creating novel HER2-targeted agents to resolve therapeutic resistance. Utilizing a synthetic nanobody library and affinity maturation, our study identified four anti-HER2 nanobodies that exhibited high affinity and specificity. These nanobodies recognized three distinct epitopes of HER2-ECD. Additionally, we constructed VHH-Fc and discovered that they facilitated superior internalization and showed moderate growth inhibition. Compared to the combination of trastuzumab and pertuzumab, the VHH-Fc combos or their combination with trastuzumab demonstrated greater or comparable antitumor activity in both ligand-independent and ligand-driven tumors. Most remarkably, A9B5-Fc, which targeted domain I of HER2-ECD, displayed significantly enhanced trastuzumab-synergistic antitumor efficacy compared to pertuzumab under trastuzumab-resistant conditions. Our findings offer anti-HER2 nanobodies with high affinity and non-overlapping epitope recognition. The novel nanobody-based HER2-targeted antibody, A9B5-Fc, binding to HER2-ECD I, mediates promising receptor internalization. It possesses the potential to serve as a potent synergistic partner with trastuzumab, contributing to overcoming acquired resistance.
Topics: Humans; Trastuzumab; Receptor, ErbB-2; Single-Domain Antibodies; Ligands; Neoplasms; Epitopes
PubMed: 37954614
DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1292839 -
JAMA Cardiology Jul 2023Cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) is a potentially serious cardiotoxicity of treatments for ERBB2-positive breast cancer (formerly HER2). Identifying...
IMPORTANCE
Cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) is a potentially serious cardiotoxicity of treatments for ERBB2-positive breast cancer (formerly HER2). Identifying early biomarkers of cardiotoxicity could facilitate an individualized approach to cardiac surveillance and early pharmacologic intervention. Circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) of cardiomyocyte origin is present during acute cardiac injury but has not been established as a biomarker of CTRCD.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether circulating cardiomyocyte cfDNA is associated with CTRCD in patients with ERBB2-positive breast cancer treated with anthracyclines and ERBB2-targeted therapy.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
A prospective cohort of 80 patients with ERBB2-positive breast cancer enrolled at an academic cancer center between July 2014 and April 2016 underwent echocardiography and blood collection at baseline, after receiving anthracyclines, and at 3 months and 6 months of ERBB2-targeted therapy. Participants were treated with doxorubicin-based chemotherapy followed by trastuzumab (+/- pertuzumab). The current biomarker study includes participants with sufficient biospecimen available for analysis after anthracycline therapy. Circulating cardiomyocyte-specific cfDNA was quantified by a methylation-specific droplet digital polymerase chain reaction assay. Data for this biomarker study were collected and analyzed from June 2021 through April 2022.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
The outcome of interest was 1-year CTRCD, defined by symptomatic heart failure or an asymptomatic decline in left ventricular ejection fraction (≥10% from baseline to less than lower limit of normal or ≥16%). Values for cardiomyocyte cfDNA and high-sensitivity cardiac troponin I (hs-cTnI) measured after patients completed treatment with anthracyclines were compared between patients who later developed CTRCD vs patients who did not using the Wilcoxon rank sum test, and the association of post-anthracycline cardiomyocyte cfDNA level with CTRCD was estimated using logistic regression.
RESULTS
Of 71 patients included in this study, median (IQR) age was 50 (44-58) years, all were treated with dose-dense doxorubicin, and 48 patients underwent breast radiotherapy. Ten of 71 patients (14%) in this analysis developed CTRCD. The level of cardiomyocyte cfDNA at the post-anthracycline time point was higher in patients who subsequently developed CTRCD (median, 30.5 copies/mL; IQR, 24-46) than those who did not (median, 7 copies/mL; IQR, 2-22; P = .004). Higher cardiomyocyte cfDNA level after completion of anthracycline chemotherapy was associated with risk of CTRCD (hazard ratio, 1.02 per 1-copy/mL increase; 95% CI, 1.00-1.03; P = .046).
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
This study found that higher cardiomyocyte cfDNA level after completion of anthracycline chemotherapy was associated with risk of CTRCD. Cardiomyocyte cfDNA quantification shows promise as a predictive biomarker to refine risk stratification for CTRCD among patients with breast cancer receiving cardiotoxic cancer therapy, and its use warrants further validation.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02177175.
Topics: Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Anthracyclines; Breast Neoplasms; Cardiotoxicity; Doxorubicin; Heart Diseases; Myocytes, Cardiac; Prospective Studies; Receptor, ErbB-2; Stroke Volume; Ventricular Function, Left; Adult
PubMed: 37256614
DOI: 10.1001/jamacardio.2023.1229 -
RSC Advances Jun 2024Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are pivotal therapeutic agents for various diseases, and effective treatment hinges on attaining a specific threshold concentration of mAbs...
Monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are pivotal therapeutic agents for various diseases, and effective treatment hinges on attaining a specific threshold concentration of mAbs in patients. With the rising adoption of combination therapy involving multiple mAbs, there arises a clinical demand for multiplexing assays capable of measuring the concentrations of these mAbs. However, minimizing the complexity of serum samples while achieving rapid and accurate quantification is difficult. In this work, we introduced a novel method termed nano-surface and molecular orientation limited (nSMOL) proteolysis for the fragment of antigen binding (Fab) region-selective proteolysis of co-administered trastuzumab and pertuzumab based on the pore size difference between the protease nanoparticles (∼200 nm) and the resin-captured antibody (∼100 nm). The hydrolyzed peptide fragments were then quantified using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). In this process, the digestion time is shortened, and the produced digestive peptides are greatly reduced, thereby minimizing sample complexity and increasing detection accuracy. Assay linearity was confirmed within the ranges of 0.200-200 μg mL for trastuzumab and 0.300-200 μg mL for pertuzumab. The intra- and inter-day precision was within 9.52% and 8.32%, except for 12.5% and 10.8% for the lower limit of quantitation, and the accuracy (bias%) was within 6.3%. Additionally, other validation parameters were evaluated, and all the results met the acceptance criteria of the guiding principles. Our method demonstrated accuracy and selectivity for the simultaneous determination of trastuzumab and pertuzumab in clinical samples, addressing the limitation of ligand binding assays incapable of simultaneously quantifying mAbs targeting the same receptor. This proposed assay provides a promising technical approach for realizing clinical individualized precise treatment, especially for co-administered mAbs.
PubMed: 38895524
DOI: 10.1039/d4ra03060e -
British Journal of Cancer Jul 2023HER2 is overexpressed in 25-30% of breast cancer. Multiple domains targeting of a receptor can have synergistic/additive therapeutic effects.
BACKGROUND
HER2 is overexpressed in 25-30% of breast cancer. Multiple domains targeting of a receptor can have synergistic/additive therapeutic effects.
METHODS
Two domain-specific ADCs trastuzumab-PEG-DM1 (domain IV) and pertuzumab-PEG-DM1 (domain II) were developed, characterised and radiolabeled to obtain [Zr]Zr-trastuzumab-PEG-DM1 and [Cu]Cu-pertuzumab-PEG-DM1 to study their in vitro (binding assay, internalisation and cytotoxicity) and in vivo (pharmacokinetics, biodistribution and immunoPET/SPECT imaging) characteristics.
RESULTS
The ADCs had an average drug-to-antibody ratio of 3. Trastuzumab did not compete with [Cu]Cu-pertuzumab-PEG-DM1 for binding to HER2. The highest antibody internalisation was observed with the combination of ADCs in BT-474 cells compared with single antibodies or ADCs. The combination of the two ADCs had the lowest IC compared with treatment using the single ADCs or controls. Pharmacokinetics showed biphasic half-lives with fast distribution and slow elimination, and an AUC that was five-fold higher for [Zr]Zr-trastuzumab-PEG-DM1 compared with [Cu]Cu-pertuzumab-PEG-DM1. Tumour uptake of [Zr]Zr-trastuzumab-PEG-DM1 was 51.3 ± 17.3% IA/g (BT-474), and 12.9 ± 2.1% IA/g (JIMT-1) which was similarly to [Cu]Cu-pertuzumab-PEG-DM1. Mice pre-blocked with pertuzumab had [Zr]Zr-trastuzumab-PEG-DM1 tumour uptakes of 66.3 ± 33.9% IA/g (BT-474) and 25.3 ± 4.9% IA/g (JIMT-1) at 120 h p.i.
CONCLUSION
Using these biologics simultaneously as biparatopic theranostic agents has additive benefits.
Topics: Animals; Mice; Tissue Distribution; Precision Medicine; Receptor, ErbB-2; Trastuzumab; Neoplasms
PubMed: 37095184
DOI: 10.1038/s41416-023-02272-4 -
Cancer Research Mar 2024Aberrations of the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) family members are frequently observed in metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC), and blocking the FGF/FGFR...
UNLABELLED
Aberrations of the fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR) family members are frequently observed in metastatic urothelial cancer (mUC), and blocking the FGF/FGFR signaling axis is used as a targeted therapeutic strategy for treating patients. Erdafitinib is a pan-FGFR inhibitor, which has recently been approved by the FDA for mUC with FGFR2/3 alterations. Although mUC patients show initial response to erdafitinib, acquired resistance rapidly develops. Here, we found that adipocyte precursors promoted resistance to erdafitinib in FGFR-dependent bladder and lung cancer in a paracrine manner. Moreover, neuregulin 1 (NRG1) secreted from adipocyte precursors was a mediator of erdafitinib resistance by activating human epidermal growth factor receptor 3 (ERBB3; also known as HER3) signaling, and knockdown of NRG1 in adipocyte precursors abrogated the conferred paracrine resistance. NRG1 expression was significantly downregulated in terminally differentiated adipocytes compared with their progenitors. Pharmacologic inhibition of the NRG1/HER3 axis using pertuzumab reversed erdafitinib resistance in tumor cells in vitro and prolonged survival of mice bearing bladder cancer xenografts in vivo. Remarkably, data from single-cell RNA sequencing revealed that NRG1 was enriched in platelet-derived growth factor receptor-A (PDGFRA) expressing inflammatory cancer-associated fibroblasts, which is also expressed on adipocyte precursors. Together, this work reveals a paracrine mechanism of anti-FGFR resistance in bladder cancer, and potentially other cancers, that is amenable to inhibition using available targeted therapies.
SIGNIFICANCE
Acquired resistance to FGFR inhibition can be rapidly promoted by paracrine activation of the NRG1/HER3 axis mediated by adipocyte precursors and can be overcome by the combination of pertuzumab and erdafitinib treatment. See related commentary by Kolonin and Anastassiou, p. 648.
Topics: Humans; Mice; Animals; Urinary Bladder Neoplasms; Carcinoma, Transitional Cell; Neuregulin-1; Receptors, Fibroblast Growth Factor; Signal Transduction; Protein Kinase Inhibitors
PubMed: 38175774
DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-23-1398 -
Appraisal of Systemic Treatment Strategies in Early HER2-Positive Breast Cancer-A Literature Review.Cancers Aug 2023The overexpression of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2+) accounts for 15-20% of all breast cancer phenotypes. Even after the completion of the standard... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
The overexpression of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2+) accounts for 15-20% of all breast cancer phenotypes. Even after the completion of the standard combination of chemotherapy and trastuzumab, relapse events occur in approximately 15% of cases. The neoadjuvant approach has multiple benefits that include the potential to downgrade staging and convert previously unresectable tumors to operable tumors. In addition, achieving a pathologic complete response (pCR) following preoperative systemic treatment is prognostic of enhanced survival outcomes. Thus, optimal evaluation among the suitable strategies is crucial in deciding which patients should be selected for the neoadjuvant approach.
METHODS
A literature search was conducted in the Embase, Medline, and Cochrane electronic libraries.
CONCLUSION
The evaluation of tumor and LN staging and, hence, stratifying BC recurrence risk are decisive factors in guiding clinicians to optimize treatment decisions between the neoadjuvant versus adjuvant approaches. For each individual case, it is important to consider the most likely postsurgical outcome, since, if the patient does not obtain pCR following neoadjuvant treatment, they are eligible for adjuvant T-DM1 in the case of residual disease. This review of HER2-positive female BC outlines suitable neoadjuvant and adjuvant systemic treatment strategies for guiding clinical decision making around the selection of an appropriate therapy.
PubMed: 37686612
DOI: 10.3390/cancers15174336 -
Frontiers in Oncology 2023Clinical trials have shown a significant increase in pathologic complete response (pCR) with the addition of pertuzumab to neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with...
Pathologic response and survival after neoadjuvant chemotherapy with or without pertuzumab in patients with HER2-positive breast cancer: the Neopearl nationwide collaborative study.
PURPOSE
Clinical trials have shown a significant increase in pathologic complete response (pCR) with the addition of pertuzumab to neoadjuvant chemotherapy for patients with early-stage HER-2 positive breast cancer. To date, limited studies have examined comparative outcomes of neoadjuvant pertuzumab in real-world setting. The Neopearl study aimed to assess comparative real-life efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant pertuzumab for these patients.
METHODS
We conducted a nationwide retrospective analysis involving 17 oncology facilities with a certified multidisciplinary breast cancer treatment committee. We identified patients with HER-2 positive stage II-III breast cancer treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy based on trastuzumab and taxanes with or without pertuzumab. All patients underwent breast surgery and received a comprehensive cardiologic evaluation at baseline and after neoadjuvant treatment. Patients who received the combination of pertuzumab, trastuzumab, and chemotherapy constituted case cohort (PTCT), whereas those treated with trastuzumab and chemotherapy accounted for control cohort (TCT). The pCR rate and 5-year event free survival (EFS) were the primary outcomes. Secondary end-points were rates of conversion from planned modified radical mastectomy (MRM) to breast conservation surgery (BCS) and cardiotoxicities.
RESULTS
From March 2014 to April 2021, we included 271 patients, 134 (49%) and 137 (51%) in TCT and PTCT cohort, respectively. Positive axillary lymph nodes and stage III were more frequent in PTCT cohort. The pCR rate was significantly increased in patients who received pertuzumab (49% vs 62%; OR 1.74, 95%CI 1.04-2.89) and with HER-2 enriched subtypes (16% vs 85%; OR 2.94, 95%CI 1.60-5.41). After a median follow-up of 5 years, the 5-year EFS was significantly prolonged only in patients treated with pertuzumab (81% vs 93%; HR 2.22, 95%CI 1.03-4.79). The same analysis performed on propensity score matched population showed concordant results. On univariate analysis, only patients with positive lymph nodes were found to benefit from pertuzumab for both pCR and 5-year EFS. The rates of conversion from MRM to BCS and cardiologic toxicities did not differ between the cohorts.
CONCLUSION
Our findings support previous data on improved outcomes with the addition of pertuzumab to trastuzumab-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy. This benefit seems to be more significant in patients with clinically positive lymph nodes.
PubMed: 37441419
DOI: 10.3389/fonc.2023.1177681 -
JAMA Network Open Apr 2024Little is known regarding the outcomes associated with tucatinib combined with trastuzumab and capecitabine (TTC) after trastuzumab-deruxtecan exposure among patients...
IMPORTANCE
Little is known regarding the outcomes associated with tucatinib combined with trastuzumab and capecitabine (TTC) after trastuzumab-deruxtecan exposure among patients with ERBB2 (previously HER2)-positive metastatic breast cancer (MBC).
OBJECTIVE
To investigate outcomes following TTC treatment in patients with ERBB2-positive MBC who had previously received trastuzumab-deruxtecan.
DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS
This cohort study included all patients with MBC who were treated in 12 French comprehensive cancer centers between August 1, 2020, and December 31, 2022.
EXPOSURE
Tucatinib combined with trastuzumab and capecitabine administered at the recommended dose.
MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
Clinical end points included progression-free survival (PFS), time to next treatment (TTNT), overall survival (OS), and overall response rate (ORR).
RESULTS
A total of 101 patients with MBC were included (median age, 56 [range, 31-85] years). The median number of prior treatment lines for metastatic disease at TTC treatment initiation was 4 (range, 2-15), including 82 patients (81.2%) with previous trastuzumab and/or pertuzumab and 94 (93.1%) with previous ado-trastuzumab-emtansine) exposure. The median duration of trastuzumab-deruxtecan treatment was 8.9 (range, 1.4-25.8) months, and 82 patients (81.2%) had disease progression during trastuzumab-deruxtecan treatment, whereas 18 (17.8%) had stopped trastuzumab-deruxtecan for toxic effects and 1 (1.0%) for other reasons. Tucatinib combined with trastuzumab and capecitabine was provided as a third- or fourth-line treatment in 37 patients (36.6%) and was the immediate treatment after trastuzumab-deruxtecan in 86 (85.1%). With a median follow-up of 11.6 (95% CI, 10.5-13.4) months, 76 of 101 patients (75.2%) stopped TTC treatment due to disease progression. The median PFS was 4.7 (95% CI, 3.9-5.6) months; median TTNT, 5.2 (95% CI, 4.5-7.0) months; and median OS, 13.4 (95% CI, 11.1 to not reached [NR]) months. Patients who received TTC immediately after trastuzumab-deruxtecan had a median PFS of 5.0 (95% CI, 4.2-6.0) months; median TTNT of 5.5 (95% CI, 4.8-7.2) months, and median OS of 13.4 (95% CI, 11.9-NR) months. Those who received TTC due to trastuzumab-deruxtecan toxicity-related discontinuation had a median PFS of 7.3 (95% CI, 3.0-NR) months. Best ORR was 29 of 89 patients (32.6%). Sixteen patients with active brain metastasis had a median PFS of 4.7 (95% CI, 3.0-7.3) months, median TTNT of 5.6 (95% CI, 4.4 to NR), and median OS of 12.4 (95% CI, 8.3-NR) months.
CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
In this study, TTC therapy was associated with clinically meaningful outcomes in patients with ERBB2-positive MBC after previous trastuzumab-deruxtecan treatment, including those with brain metastases. Prospective data on optimal drug sequencing in this rapidly changing therapeutic landscape are needed.
Topics: Humans; Middle Aged; Female; Breast Neoplasms; Capecitabine; Cohort Studies; Prospective Studies; Trastuzumab; Brain Neoplasms; Disease Progression; Receptor, ErbB-2; Oxazoles; Pyridines; Quinazolines
PubMed: 38568692
DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.4435 -
Cell Reports. Medicine Oct 2023Patients with early-stage HER2-overexpressing breast cancer struggle with treatment resistance in 20%-40% of cases. More information is needed to predict HER2 therapy...
Patients with early-stage HER2-overexpressing breast cancer struggle with treatment resistance in 20%-40% of cases. More information is needed to predict HER2 therapy response and resistance in vivo. In this study, we perform (phospho)proteomics analysis of pre-treatment HER2 needle biopsies of early-stage invasive breast cancer to identify molecular signatures predictive of treatment response to trastuzumab, pertuzumab, and chemotherapy. Our data show that accurate quantification of the estrogen receptor (ER) and HER2 biomarkers, combined with the assessment of associated biological features, has the potential to enable better treatment outcome prediction. In addition, we identify cellular mechanisms that potentially precondition tumors to resist therapy. We find proteins with expression changes that correlate with resistance and constitute to a strong predictive signature for treatment success in our patient cohort. Our results highlight the multifactorial nature of drug resistance in vivo and demonstrate the necessity of deep tumor profiling.
Topics: Humans; Female; Breast Neoplasms; Receptor, ErbB-2; Proteomics; Biomarkers, Tumor; Neoadjuvant Therapy; Biopsy, Needle
PubMed: 37794585
DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101203 -
Clinical Breast Cancer Oct 2023Breast cancer represents the most commonly diagnosed neoplasm worldwide and the HER2-positive subtype accounts for nearly 1 in 5 breast cancers. The majority of patients... (Review)
Review
Breast cancer represents the most commonly diagnosed neoplasm worldwide and the HER2-positive subtype accounts for nearly 1 in 5 breast cancers. The majority of patients with breast cancer present with an early-stage disease upon diagnosis, which is thus susceptible to virtually curative treatment strategies. For a stage, I T1a/b N0 HER2-positive disease, upfront surgery followed by adjuvant therapy is the preferred approach. However, there is some uncertainty regarding the appropriate management of stage cT1c cN0, as both the neoadjuvant approach and upfront surgery have been proven to be feasible therapeutic options. The aim of this Delphi consensus was to define the best strategies for the treatment of early HER2-positive breast cancer. This work may help clinicians in the management of early HER2-positive breast cancer.
PubMed: 37543499
DOI: 10.1016/j.clbc.2023.07.006