Identification of resistance mechanisms to anti-HER2 antibody in breast cancer cell line BT-474

Background: The addition of the anti-HER2 antibody pertuzumab to trastuzumab/chemotherapy treatment in HER2+ breast cancer significantly improves clinical outcome. Concomitantly, the drug-antibody conjugate T-DM1 (trastuzumab-emantasine) has demonstrated efficacy, at least equal, to the combination of trastuzumab/chemotherapy. Scientific, economic and health challenges emerge from the clinical use of these novel anti-HER2 antibodies, aimed to identify new resistance mechanisms and to select the target breast cancer population. Objectives: (1) To identify primary resistance mechanisms to anti-HER2 antibodies trastuzumab, pertuzumab, and to the combined trastuzumab/pertuzumab or pertuzumab/T-DM1 therapy, (2) To identify acquired resistance mechanisms to anti-HER2 antibodies trastuzumab, pertuzumab, and to the combined trastuzumab/pertuzumab or pertuzumab/T-DM1 therapy, (3) To develop new combinations of anti-HER2 antibodies with other targeted therapies. Samples: Breast cancer cell line BT-474. Treatments: trastuzumab-conditioned cultures. Control samples: same cell lines with no treatment. Triplicates.