A subset of gastric cancers with EGFR amplification and overexpression respond to cetuximab therapy

• Published in: Scientific reports Vol. 3; no. 1; p. 2992
• Main Authors: Zhang, Lianhai, Yang, Jie, Cai, Jie, Song, Xiaoming, Deng, Jianyun, Huang, Xuesong, Chen, Dawei, Yang, Mengmeng, Wery, Jean-Pierre, Li, Shuangxi, Wu, Aiwen, Li, Ziyu, Li, Zhongwu, Liu, Yiqiang, Chen, Yiyou, Li, Qixiang, Ji, Jiafu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 21-10-2013; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: 13/51; 14/32; 38/39; 45/77; 631/154/53/2423; 631/67/1504/1829; 64/60; Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized - administration & dosage; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Humanized - pharmacology; Antineoplastic Agents - administration & dosage; Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; Cetuximab; Copy number; Disease Models, Animal; Epidermal growth factor receptors; Female; Gastric cancer; Gene Amplification; Gene Expression; Gene Expression Profiling; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Genomes; Growth inhibition; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Immunotherapy; Mice; Monoclonal antibodies; multidisciplinary; Mutation; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor - antagonists & inhibitors; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor - genetics; Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor - metabolism; Science; Stomach Neoplasms - drug therapy; Stomach Neoplasms - genetics; Stomach Neoplasms - pathology; Targeted cancer therapy; Treatment Outcome; Tumor Burden - drug effects; Xenograft Model Antitumor Assays; Xenografts
• ISSN: 2045-2322; 2045-2322
• DOI: 10.1038/srep02992

A preclinical trial identified 4 of 20 (20%) gastric cancer (GC) patient-derived xenografts responded to cetuximab. Genome-wide profiling and additional investigations revealed that high EGFR mRNA expression and immunohistochemistry score (3+) are associated with tumor growth inhibition. Furthermore, EGFR amplification were observed in 2/4 (50%) responders with average copy number 5.8 and >15 respectively. Our data suggest that a GC subtype with EGFR amplification and overexpression benefit from cetuximab treatment.