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Query: UNIPROT:O76050 (
neu
)
3,969
document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)
The discovery of the HER2/
neu
proto-oncogene and its role in the pathogenesis of breast cancer tumors, and the development of the anti-HER2 monoclonal antibody, trastuzumab (Herceptin; Genentech, South
San
Francisco, CA), directed against the HER2 receptor represent major milestones in the research developments in breast cancer, making trastuzumab the first monoclonal antibody available for treatment of this disease. Clinical trials in HER2-positive patients have demonstrated that the combined use of targeted therapy with trastuzumab in conjunction with cytotoxic chemotherapy is associated with improved time to disease progression and overall survival. Unfortunately, findings also demonstrate an increased risk for cardiotoxicity when trastuzumab is combined with anthracyclines. For HER2/
neu
-overexpressing breast cancer patients, the adjuvant use of trastuzumab will become paramount; therefore, it must be evaluated in a randomized controlled trial. There is disagreement regarding the design of such a trial, largely because of the ubiquitous use of anthracyclines in the adjuvant setting and the opposing necessity of avoiding anthracycline plus trastuzumab combinations. Combination index values for various chemotherapeutic drugs in combination with trastuzumab demonstrate dramatic synergistic interactions with the platinum agents and with docetaxel (Taxotere; Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Parsippany, NJ). The greatest level of synergy has been demonstrated with the triple-drug combination of docetaxel, platinum, and trastuzumab in which synergy is demonstrated, even at low doses. The adjuvant trial design for the Breast Cancer International Research Group uses a control arm of doxorubicin/cyclophosphamide for four cycles followed by docetaxel for four cycles and the second arm contains the addition of trastuzumab to the taxane sequence. The third arm, a non-anthracycline-containing regimen, contains docetaxel, a platinum agent (either cisplatin or carboplatin), and trastuzumab. The rationale for the selection of this three-drug regimen is based on the biology of the system and preclinical and clinical findings that demonstrate a high potential for clinical synergy.
...
PMID:Rationale for trastuzumab (Herceptin) in adjuvant breast cancer trials. 1130 70
Trastuzumab (Herceptin; Genentech, South
San
Francisco, CA) is a humanized version of the murine monoclonal antibody 4D5 that was recently approved for the treatment of advanced breast cancer that overexpresses the HER2/
neu
oncogene. Cardiac toxicity was an unexpected side effect of trastuzumab treatment in the pivotal trials that led to its approval. The incidence of cardiac dysfunction was highly dependent on prior or concurrent doxorubicin exposure. For patients with minimal prior anthracycline exposure, the risk of cardiac dysfunction was 1%. For patients with more extensive prior doxorubicin exposure, the risk of cardiac dysfunction was 7% for trastuzumab monotherapy and 12% for trastuzumab plus paclitaxel (Taxol; Bristol-Myers Squibb Oncology, Princeton, NJ). For patients treated with trastuzumab concurrently with doxorubicin, the risk of cardiac dysfunction was 29%. The etiology of trastuzumab-associated cardiac dysfunction is unknown, although its dependence on concurrent or prior doxorubicin exposure suggests a common pathophysiologic basis with anthracycline-induced myocardial injury. A number of trials are in progress to evaluate the efficacy and safety of trastuzumab in patients with early stage disease and that will investigate novel strategies to circumvent this serious toxicity.
...
PMID:Cardiac toxicity of trastuzumab (Herceptin): implications for the design of adjuvant trials. 1130 71
Metastatic breast cancer is a partially chemotherapy-sensitive neoplasm. Most chemotherapy groups have activity in this disease, and the most active single drugs are the taxanes, especially docetaxel (Taxotere; Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Parsippany, NJ), and the anthracyclines. The alkylating agents, antimetabolites, and vinca alkaloids are also widely used. The platinum coordination complexes, which are widely used in oncology, are also active in metastatic breast cancer, but the availability of other drugs that are less toxic and easier to administer has resulted in their having a strictly limited use in this setting. Cisplatin appears to be somewhat more active than carboplatin, but direct comparative studies are lacking. The identification of the prominent activity of the taxanes has led to the investigation of wholly novel non-anthracycline-containing combination regimens, and platinum/taxane doublets appear to be particularly active. More recently, reports that trastuzumab (Herceptin, Genentech, South
San
Francisco, CA), a novel monoclonal antibody directed against the protein product of the HER2/(
neu
) oncogene, has a powerful synergistic interaction with docetaxel and with platinum agents have prompted evaluation of the triplet docetaxel/platinum/trastuzumab in the therapy of metastatic breast cancer.
...
PMID:The platinum agents: a role in breast cancer treatment? 1130 72
The rationale for the combined use of docetaxel (Taxotere; Aventis Pharmaceuticals, Inc, Parsippany, NJ) and trastuzumab (Herceptin; Genentech, South
San
Francisco, CA) in HER2/
neu
-overexpressing breast cancer patients are several-fold. Docetaxel is a highly active chemotherapeutic agent in metastatic breast cancer. Response rates, time to progression, and survival are improved when trastuzumab is combined with chemotherapy. Finally, preclinical findings demonstrate synergistic cytotoxic activity when docetaxel and trastuzumab are combined. In addition, their different mechanisms of action and a nonoverlapping toxicity profile suggest the potential for a highly useful combination while minimizing potential cardiotoxicity. An ongoing pilot phase II evaluation is being conducted with every-3-week docetaxel plus weekly trastuzumab. Preliminary findings suggest an active and well-tolerated regimen. Efficacy data indicate an encouraging overall major response rate of 45% in first- and second-line metastatic breast cancer patients. Preliminary results from a second phase II trial of weekly docetaxel and trastuzumab have been reported. In 14 patients treated to date, grade (3/4) toxicities are infrequent. An overall response rate of 54% is reported thus far with 26 cycles (156 weeks) of therapy delivered. The preliminary data for the docetaxel and trastuzumab combinations look favorable from both a safety and an efficacy perspective. The lack of cardiac function changes despite frequent cardiac monitoring is promising. For the adjuvant therapy of HER2/
neu
-overexpressing breast cancer, the high level of efficacy of docetaxel and the need to identify nonanthracycline agents for combined use with trastuzumab place a high emphasis on the potential utility of docetaxel and trastuzumab-based regimens.
...
PMID:Docetaxel (Taxotere) plus trastuzumab (Herceptin) in breast cancer. 1130 73
Overexpression of the HER2/
neu
oncogene (also known as c-erbB2) is a frequent molecular event in multiple human cancers, including breast and ovarian cancer. Patients with cancer that overexpress HER2/
neu
are associated with unfavorable prognosis, shorter relapse time, and low survival rate. Treatments that target HER2/
neu
expression in cancer cells have been shown to be useful strategies to significantly reverse the malignancy induced by HER2/
neu
overexpression. The humanized anti-HER2/
neu
antibody, trastuzumab (Herceptin; Genentech, Inc, South
San
Francisco, CA) has proven to be effective in clinical trials in patients with metastatic breast cancer. In addition, tyrosine kinase inhibitors such as emodin can also target the HER2/
neu
oncogenic activity. Emodin treatment inhibits HER2/
neu
tyrosine kinase activity and preferentially suppresses the transformation of HER2/
neu
-overexpressing breast cancer cells. Emodin also sensitizes HER2/
neu
-overexpressing cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents, including cisplatin, doxorubicin, etoposide, and paclitaxel. Alternatively, HER2/
neu
overexpression can be repressed by attenuating the promoter activity of the HER2/
neu
gene. We have identified a number of potent transcriptional regulators, including the ets family member PEA3 and the adenovirus type 5 E1A, which are able to repress HER2/
neu
gene expression. Expression of these transcriptional regulators resulted in downregulation of HER2/
neu
promoter activity and reversed the transformed phenotype of the cancer cells in vitro. In vivo studies show that these HER2/
neu
repressors can act therapeutically as tumor suppressor genes for tumors that overexpress HER2/
neu
. These preclinical studies clearly indicate that transcriptional repressors that downregulate HER2/
neu
can be effective regimens for cancer treatment in a gene therapy format. More importantly, the tumor-free survival rate of treated animals is dramatically increased under nontoxic doses compared with untreated animals. A phase I clinical trial using E1A-liposome in breast and ovarian patients has recently been completed. Following treatment, we observed downregulation of the HER2/
neu
protein accompanied by E1A expression in both cancer and noncancer cells. Numbers of tumor cells in the pleural effusion or ascites were found to be dramatically reduced after treatment. Furthermore, apoptosis was strongly induced in the tumor cells. A phase II study has been started to further evaluate therapeutic efficacy and tumor suppression mechanisms of E1A. These studies show the clinical potential of targeting HER2/
neu
in cancer therapy.
...
PMID:Targeting HER2: recent developments and future directions for breast cancer patients. 1177 2
HER2/
neu
amplification/overexpression confers more aggressive and malignant characteristics on breast cancer cells. Patients with HER2/
neu
-amplified breast cancer have a worse prognosis than those with normal HER2/
neu
expression. Over the past decade, the intracellular signaling pathways associated with this growth factor receptor have been elucidated. Multiple therapeutic strategies that target the HER2/
neu
oncoprotein are under development. Trastuzumab (Herceptin; Genentech, Inc, South
San
Francisco, CA), a humanized monoclonal antibody that binds to the extracellular domain of the HER2/
neu
receptor, has undergone phase I, II, and III clinical trials. These studies have shown that, as a single agent, trastuzumab has substantial and reproducible antitumor activity in HER2/
neu
-amplified metastatic breast cancer. In addition, when added to chemotherapy, trastuzumab improves antitumor efficacy as measured by time to progression, response rate, and survival. Additional chemotherapy/trastuzumab combinations are under active evaluation, and new schedules of administration are being tested. Thus, trastuzumab is the first successful example of molecularly targeted therapy in the management of metastatic breast cancer.
...
PMID:Overview of treatment results with trastuzumab (Herceptin) in metastatic breast cancer. 1177 5
Her-2/
neu
belongs to the family of tyrosine kinase transmembrane proteins whose overexpression has been associated with a poor prognosis in patients with breast cancer. The product of this proto-oncogene is overexpressed in 25-30% of human breast cancer and is the target of selective immunotherapy. Concerned about the ethnic differences on the expression of this oncogene, we have evaluated 143 consecutive specimens of primary breast cancer diagnosed in
San
Pablo Hospital, Puerto Rico. The specimens were analyzed for Her-2/
neu
expression using immunohistochemistry assays (Hercept test). We have related the expression of hormone receptor status, percent cells in S phase, DNA ploidy, tumor size, nodal status and menopausal state with the Her2/
neu
expression. Out of 143 specimens, 28 overexpressed the Her-2/
neu
(19.6%). Of the Her/2 negative 30/114 (26%) were estrogen receptor negative as compared to 9/27 (33%) (p = 0.464). The degree of aneuploidy was abnormal in 25/104 (24%) in the Her-2/
neu
negative vs 11/27 (41%) p = 0.083. The percent cell in DNA synthesis was high in 16/77 (21%) in Her-2/
neu
negative vs 4/15 (27%) p = 0.613. The tumor size was greater than 2 cm in 35/106 (33%) in Her-2/
neu
negative vs 9/23 (39%) p = 0.575. In the progesterone specimens negative for Her2, 44/114 (39%) were Her2/
neu
negative vs 15/27 (56%) p = 0.108. No differences were seen regarding menopausal status, age and nuclear grading. A trend favoring abnormal aneuploidy in Her2/
neu
positive was seen. Nodal involvement was significantly associated with Her2/
neu
overexpression. (p = 0.037). Although the incidence of Her2 overexpression found in this database was somewhat lower than the one reported in the literature, this might also be due to the small cohort examined or to the technique utilized.
...
PMID:Her-2/neu oncogene expression in Puerto Rican females with breast cancer. 1178 52
HER-2 /
neu
is a 185-kDa glycoprotein and a transmembrane receptor with tyrosine kinase activity. Its overexpression is observed in 25-30% of primary breast carcinomas and is associated with a poor clinical prognosis. Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Japanese Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Labor approved the use of trastuzumab (Herceptin, Genentech, South
San
Francisco, CA) for the treatment of patients with metastatic breast carcinomas overexpressing HER-2 /
neu
. Results of clinical trials with Herceptin suggest that it may prolong the survival of patients with advanced metastatic breast carcinoma. Relatively little is known concerning the relationship between HER-2 /
neu
status and ovarian clear cell carcinoma. If HER-2 /
neu
overexpression status were demonstrable in ovarian clear cell carcinoma and a clinical correlation between overexpression and prognosis could be established, a rationale for clinical use of Herceptin for this tumor could be established. Our aim was to evaluate HER-2 /
neu
status in ovarian clear cell carcinomas. Fifteen ovarian clear cell carcinoma cases were immunostained for HER-2 /
neu
using HercepTest (DAKO, Glostrup, Denmark). Overexpression of HER-2 /
neu
was detected in only one case. Unlike in breast carcinoma, HER-2 /
neu
overexpression appeared to be uncommon in ovarian clear cell carcinomas. Herceptin may thus target only a small proportion of ovarian clear cell carcinomas and be of limited clinical value for treatment of this carcinoma.
...
PMID:HER-2/neu expression in ovarian clear cell carcinomas. 1263 Dec 16
Treatment of advanced renal cancer has made little progress in the past 30 yr. Most clinical efforts have incorporated cytokine-based therapy. The presumption has been that the cytokines may trigger a host immune response against the renal cancer. Only IFN-alpha and high-dose IL-2 seemed to have positive effects on patient outcomes. IFN has prolonged the lives of patients by a few months, and high-dose IL-2 is capable of inducing very prolonged remissions (>5 yr) for a small number of patients. Nephrectomy in the presence of metastatic disease has been established as an effective procedure for select patients, providing palliation and prolonging survival. Finally, enthusiasm has focused on the use of nonmyeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation and donor leukocyte infusion for the induction of graft versus tumor effects. Early results are both provocative and promising. A number of agents that target the critical gene products downstream from pVHL and hypoxia-inducible factor-1, such as vascular endothelial growth factor, PDGF, EGF receptor, and TGF-alpha, have recently become available. The new agents are capable of inhibiting specific cellular targets, and the biologic characteristics of clear cell carcinoma of the kidney support their application. If the correct targets are carefully selected for inhibition in tumors in which the targets are present (clear cell histologic features and loss of VHL expression), then results should resemble those others have observed with targeted therapy, such as the use of STI-571 (Gleevec; Novartis Pharmaceuticals, East Hanover, NJ) for treatment of chronic myelogenous leukemia and gastrointestinal stromal tumors or anti-HER2/
neu
(Herceptin; Genentech, South
San
Francisco, CA) for treatment of breast cancer.
...
PMID:Targeting of the VHL-hypoxia-inducible factor-hypoxia-induced gene pathway for renal cell carcinoma therapy. 1456 78
Targeted molecular therapeutics are tailored toward the genetic abnormalities that cause tumor progression. Modulation of certain signaling pathways that are aberrant in cancer cells has the potential to provide an effective, nontoxic approach to therapy in a broad range of cancers. Agents targeting BCR-ABL (imatinib mesylate [formerly known as STI-571], Gleevec; Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp, East Hanover, NJ), retinoid receptor fusion proteins (all-trans retinoic acid), ErbB-2 or HER2/
neu
(trastuzumab, Herceptin; Genentech, Inc, South
San
Francisco, CA), epidermal growth factor receptor (IMC-C225 and ZD1839), and the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway (CCI-779) have all induced remarkable, nontoxic responses in a subset of patients with cancer and abnormalities in the corresponding signal transduction cascades. To achieve successful individualized therapy, the specific components within the aberrant signaling pathways that are driving the pathophysiology of the tumors must be identified in each patient. Molecular diagnostics can identify patients in whom the target is aberrant; linking molecular diagnostics with effective molecular therapeutics will be necessary to translate these concepts into approaches that will alter the outcome for patients with cancer. In addition, intermediary markers and/or molecular imaging techniques must be used to identify the biologically relevant dose that is sufficient to inhibit the target of interest. This review focuses on the P13K pathway, and novel molecules targeting this pathway, to illustrate the questions and challenges underlying the implementation of molecular therapeutics in breast and ovarian cancer.
...
PMID:Mammalian target of rapamycin. 1579 39
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