Sensitization of HER2 Positive Breast Cancer Cells to Lapatinib Using Plants-Derived Isothiocyanates

Nutr Cancer. 2015;67(6):976-86. doi: 10.1080/01635581.2015.1053498. Epub 2015 Jul 2.

Abstract

Nearly 25% of all breast cancer is characterized by overexpression of HER2 (human epidermal growth factor receptor 2) which leads to overactivation of prosurvival signal transduction pathways, especially through Akt-mTOR-S6K kinases, and results in enhanced proliferation, migration, induction of angiogenesis, and apoptosis inhibition. Anti-HER2 targeted therapies, such as specific monoclonal antibodies or small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors, even in combination, still seem to be insufficient due to incidence of primary or acquired resistance and prevalence of serious side-effects of these drugs. We assumed that combination of compounds that target different levels of the above-mentioned signal transduction pathway might be more effective in eradication of breast cancer cells. In our in vitro research we used a commercially available drug, lapatinib, acting at the level of the receptor in combination with 1 of the plant-derived isothiocyanates: sulforaphane, erucin, or sulforaphene, as it has been shown previously that sulforaphane inhibits Akt-mTOR-S6K1 pathway in breast cancer cells. We used 2 HER2 overexpressing breast cancer cell lines, SKBR-3 and BT-474. Combinations of the drug and isothiocyanates considerably decreased their viability. This action was synergistic and was accompanied by a decrease in phosphorylation of HER2, Akt, and S6. Combined treatment induced apoptosis more efficiently than either agent alone; however the most effective was a combination of lapatinib with erucin. These findings might support the optimization of therapy based on lapatinib treatment.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Female
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic*
  • Humans
  • Isothiocyanates / pharmacology*
  • Lapatinib
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • Quinazolines / pharmacology*
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / genetics*
  • Receptor, ErbB-2 / metabolism
  • Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 70-kDa / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 70-kDa / genetics
  • Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 70-kDa / metabolism
  • Signal Transduction
  • Sulfides / pharmacology
  • Sulfoxides
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / genetics
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases / metabolism
  • Thiocyanates / pharmacology

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic
  • Isothiocyanates
  • Quinazolines
  • Sulfides
  • Sulfoxides
  • Thiocyanates
  • Lapatinib
  • isothiocyanic acid
  • erucin
  • MTOR protein, human
  • ERBB2 protein, human
  • Receptor, ErbB-2
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt
  • Ribosomal Protein S6 Kinases, 70-kDa
  • TOR Serine-Threonine Kinases
  • ribosomal protein S6 kinase, 70kD, polypeptide 1
  • sulforaphane
  • sulphoraphene