EGFR High Expression, but not KRAS Status, Predicts Sensitivity of Pancreatic Cancer Cells to Nimotuzumab treatment in vivo.

EGFR High Expression, but not KRAS Status, Predicts Sensitivity of Pancreatic Cancer Cells to Nimotuzumab treatment in vivo. Curr Cancer Drug Targets. 2016 Oct 13; Authors: Zhou C, Zhu L, Ji J, Ding F, Wang C, Cai Q, Yu Y, Zhu Z, Zhang J Abstract Nimotuzumab, a monoclonal antibody against EGFR, has been shown to be efficacious in the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer, but its predictive marker has not been established. The present study was designed to investigate the impact of EGFR and KRAS status on the antitumor efficacy of nimotuzumab and to explore its underlying mechanism of action. EGFR expression levels of pancreatic cancer cell lines, BxPC3, Panc-1, and Patu-8988, were analyzed by Western blot and immunocytochemistry, and their KRAS status was determined by gene sequencing. Anti-tumor effect of nimotuzumab on the cell lines were evaluated by cell proliferation and apoptosis assays in vitro, and mouse xenograft model in vivo. The expression levels of related molecules in EGFR pathway and IL-6 were analyzed by Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and/or real-time PCR.BxPC3 cells had wild type KRASand high-level EGFR; Panc-1 cells had mutant KRAS (G13A) and low-level EGFR; and Patu-8988 cells had mutant KRAS (G12V) and high-level EGFR. Nimotuzumab did not affect cell proliferation or apoptosis in vitro. The growth of BxPC3 and Patu-8988xenografts were significantly inhibited by nimotuzumab, but not Panc-1 xenografts, compa...
Source: Current Cancer Drug Targets - Category: Cancer & Oncology Authors: Tags: Curr Cancer Drug Targets Source Type: research