FoxM1 mediates resistance to herceptin and paclitaxel

Cancer Res. 2010 Jun 15;70(12):5054-63. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-10-0545. Epub 2010 Jun 8.

Abstract

Inherent and acquired therapeutic resistance in breast cancer remains a major clinical challenge. In human breast cancer samples, overexpression of the oncogenic transcription factor FoxM1 has been suggested to be a marker of poor prognosis. In this study, we report that FoxM1 overexpression confers resistance to the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 monoclonal antibody Herceptin and microtubule-stabilizing drug paclitaxel, both as single agents and in combination. FoxM1 altered microtubule dynamics to protect tumor cells from paclitaxel-induced apoptosis. Mechanistic investigations revealed that the tubulin-destabilizing protein Stathmin, whose expression also confers resistance to paclitaxel, is a direct transcriptional target of FoxM1. Significantly, attenuating FoxM1 expression by small interfering RNA or an alternate reading frame (ARF)-derived peptide inhibitor increased therapeutic sensitivity. Our findings indicate that targeting FoxM1 could relieve therapeutic resistance in breast cancer.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal / therapeutic use*
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / therapeutic use*
  • Apoptosis
  • Blotting, Western
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Drug Resistance, Neoplasm*
  • Female
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Forkhead Box Protein M1
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / metabolism*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • Humans
  • Paclitaxel / therapeutic use*
  • Peptide Fragments / pharmacology
  • RNA, Messenger / genetics
  • RNA, Messenger / metabolism
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Trastuzumab
  • Tubulin / metabolism
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • Antibodies, Monoclonal
  • Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized
  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • FOXM1 protein, human
  • Forkhead Box Protein M1
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Peptide Fragments
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Tubulin
  • Trastuzumab
  • Paclitaxel