J Cancer 2020; 11(13):3713-3716. doi:10.7150/jca.39265 This issue Cite

Short Research Paper

Reversal of HER2 Negativity: An Unexpected Role for Lovastatin in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Stem Cells

Huimei Yi1,2*, Mi Wu1,2*, Qiuting Zhang1, Lu Lu1,2, Hui Yao1,2, Sisi Chen1,2, Ying Li1,2, Chanjuan Zheng1, Guangchun He1,2, Xiyun Deng1,2✉

1. Key Laboratory of Translational Cancer Stem Cell Research, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China;
2. Departments of Pathology and Pathophysiology, Hunan Normal University School of Medicine, Changsha, Hunan 410013, China.
*These authors contributed equally to this work.

Citation:
Yi H, Wu M, Zhang Q, Lu L, Yao H, Chen S, Li Y, Zheng C, He G, Deng X. Reversal of HER2 Negativity: An Unexpected Role for Lovastatin in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Stem Cells. J Cancer 2020; 11(13):3713-3716. doi:10.7150/jca.39265. https://www.jcancer.org/v11p3713.htm
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Abstract

Effective treatment modality for triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is currently lacking due to the absence of defined receptor targets. Recently, we have demonstrated that lovastatin, a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitor and a lipid-lowering drug, can selectively inhibit TNBC by targeting cancer stem cells in vivo and in vitro. Interestingly, we found that lovastatin induced the reappearance of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), one of the triple receptors that are missing in TNBC. This prompted us to explore the possibility of regaining sensitivity of TNBC cancer stem cells to receptor tyrosine kinase-targeting drugs. We found that while the combination of lovastatin with a HER2 inhibitor was not sufficient to show synergism, addition of an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR/HER1) inhibitor to this combination resulted in significant synergistic inhibitory effect on cell viability. Our findings provide a potential novel strategy of designing a cocktail composed of a lipid-lowering drug and two receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors for the treatment of TNBC.

Keywords: triple-negative breast cancer, reversal, HER2, cancer stem cell, cancer therapy, lovastatin


Citation styles

APA
Yi, H., Wu, M., Zhang, Q., Lu, L., Yao, H., Chen, S., Li, Y., Zheng, C., He, G., Deng, X. (2020). Reversal of HER2 Negativity: An Unexpected Role for Lovastatin in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Stem Cells. Journal of Cancer, 11(13), 3713-3716. https://doi.org/10.7150/jca.39265.

ACS
Yi, H.; Wu, M.; Zhang, Q.; Lu, L.; Yao, H.; Chen, S.; Li, Y.; Zheng, C.; He, G.; Deng, X. Reversal of HER2 Negativity: An Unexpected Role for Lovastatin in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Stem Cells. J. Cancer 2020, 11 (13), 3713-3716. DOI: 10.7150/jca.39265.

NLM
Yi H, Wu M, Zhang Q, Lu L, Yao H, Chen S, Li Y, Zheng C, He G, Deng X. Reversal of HER2 Negativity: An Unexpected Role for Lovastatin in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Stem Cells. J Cancer 2020; 11(13):3713-3716. doi:10.7150/jca.39265. https://www.jcancer.org/v11p3713.htm

CSE
Yi H, Wu M, Zhang Q, Lu L, Yao H, Chen S, Li Y, Zheng C, He G, Deng X. 2020. Reversal of HER2 Negativity: An Unexpected Role for Lovastatin in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Stem Cells. J Cancer. 11(13):3713-3716.

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