VATIS UPDATE Article

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine (WUSM), the United States, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, the United States, and Baylor College of Medicine (BCM), the United States, recently studied mice with breast tumors transplanted from patients and analyzed the proteins present in these tumors. The researchers demonstrated that some protein alterations can be used to identify drugs that may work against some cancers.

The work is part of the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium efforts. The researchers studied 24 tumor samples from breast cancer patients after the samples were transplanted into mice. Twenty-two of the transplanted samples retained their genetic and proteomic identities as specific types of breast cancer. A proteomic analysis of the tumors also identified multiple protein targets that have the potential to respond to drugs.

For example, the researchers showed dialed-up activity of multiple protein pathways that could be targeted with investigational drugs called PI3K inhibitors and mTOR inhibitors, separately and in combination, depending on the tumor. They also showed that drugs against a type of breast tumor called HER2 positive breast cancer – such as the dual ERBB2/EGFR inhibitor lapatinib – potentially could benefit more patients than currently receive them, if analysis of the tumor proteins is taken into consideration.