Scott Wilkinson, Anson T Ku, Rosina T Lis, Isaiah M King, Daniel Low, Shana Y Trostel, John R Bright, Nicholas T Terrigino, Anna Baj, Emily R Summerbell, Kayla E Heyward, Sumeyra Kartal, John M Fenimore, Chennan Li, Cassandra Singler, BaoHan Vo, Caroline S Jansen, Huihui Ye, Nichelle C Whitlock, Stephanie A Harmon, Nicole V Carrabba, Rayann Atway, Ross Lake, David Y Takeda, Haydn T Kissick, Peter A Pinto, Peter L Choyke, Baris Turkbey, William L Dahut, Fatima Karzai, Adam G Sowalsky
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background: Localized high-risk prostate cancer (PCa) often recurs despite neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). We sought to identify baseline molecular programs that predict pathologic response and reveal targetable vulnerabilities.
Methods: We profiled 147 biopsy foci from 48 MRI-visible lesions in 37 patients before 6 months of ADT plus enzalutamide and radical prostatectomy. Residual cancer burden (RCB) at prostatectomy was the primary outcome. Analyses incorporated PTEN loss, TMPRSS2:ERG status, and HER2/androgen receptor (AR) immunohistochemistry on baseline and posttreatment tissues. Findings were evaluated in an external transcriptional cohort (n = 121) and by multiplex immunostaining in an independent cohort (n = 61). Functional assays tested enzalutamide-responsive enhancers near ERBB2 and sensitivity to HER2 inhibition.
Results: A baseline HER2-associated transcriptional program correlated with higher RCB and inversely with AR activity, independent of PTEN and ERG. Exceptional responders had lower HER2 protein in pretreatment biopsies. The inverse AR-HER2 relationship recurred across datasets and multiplex immunostaining, which revealed coexisting AR-high/HER2-low and HER2-high/AR-low subpopulations. Enzalutamide inhibited AR-mediated repression of ERBB2. HER2-high, AR-low cells present before therapy resisted ADT yet were sensitive to HER2 inhibitors; combining HER2 inhibitors with enzalutamide increased tumor cell killing. These findings were reproduced in the external cohort and orthogonal assays.
Conclusion: Baseline HER2 activity marks intrinsic resistance to neoadjuvant ADT in localized high-risk PCa and identifies a preexisting, targetable AR-low subpopulation. HER2-directed therapy, alone or with AR blockade, warrants clinical evaluation.
Trial registration:
Clinicaltrials: gov registration: NCT02430480.
Funding: Prostate Cancer Foundation; Department of Defense Prostate Cancer Research Program; National Institutes of Health.
期刊介绍:
The Journal of Clinical Investigation, established in 1924 by the ASCI, is a prestigious publication that focuses on breakthroughs in basic and clinical biomedical science, with the goal of advancing the field of medicine. With an impressive Impact Factor of 15.9 in 2022, it is recognized as one of the leading journals in the "Medicine, Research & Experimental" category of the Web of Science.
The journal attracts a diverse readership from various medical disciplines and sectors. It publishes a wide range of research articles encompassing all biomedical specialties, including Autoimmunity, Gastroenterology, Immunology, Metabolism, Nephrology, Neuroscience, Oncology, Pulmonology, Vascular Biology, and many others.
The Editorial Board consists of esteemed academic editors who possess extensive expertise in their respective fields. They are actively involved in research, ensuring the journal's high standards of publication and scientific rigor.