Prostate cancer cell lines lack amplification: overexpression of HER2

• The potential overexpression of HER2 in prostate cancer cells has attended significant interest during the past few years, both as potential target for HER2 pathway focused therapy and as a mechanism involved in the progression to androgen independence. Conflicting results have been reported concerning HER2 status on clinical material, differences which generally have been attributed to methodological differences. Nevertheless, HER2 has been utilized for targeted therapy of prostate cancer in a number of preclinical studies and is still regarded as an exciting target molecule. In this study, the HER2 status of three widely used prostate cancer cell lines and corresponding xenografts has been analysed. By use of validated and FDA approved analytical staining techniques none of these cell lines or xenografts were shown to overexpress/amplify HER2, as demonstrated by immunohistochemistry and fluorescence in situ hybridization. These findings are important for the interpretation and understanding of the therapeutic effects when developing drugs targeting HER2 in prostate cancer cell lines and also emphasize the importance of using broad and validated analytical techniques.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Klinisk medicin -- Cancer och onkologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Clinical Medicine -- Cancer and Oncology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Animals

Antibodies

Monoclonal/diagnostic use

Breast Neoplasms

Male/genetics/metabolism

Cell Line

Tumor

Gene Expression Regulation

Neoplastic

*Genes

erbB-2

Humans

Immunohistochemistry

In Situ Hybridization

Fluorescence

Male

Mice

Prostatic Neoplasms/*metabolism

Receptor

erbB-2/*biosynthesis

Tumor Markers

Biological/*metabolism

Up-Regulation

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)