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Growth response of human colorectal tumour cell lines to treatment with afatinib (BIBW2992), an irreversible erbB family blocker, and its association with expression of HER family members

  • Authors:
    • Said Abdullah Khelwatty
    • Sharadah Essapen
    • Alan M. Seddon
    • Helmout Modjtahedi
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: May 25, 2011     https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.2011.1054
  • Pages: 483-491
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Abstract

Despite the approval of the anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), cetu­ximab and panitumumab, for the treatment of colorectal cancer patients, there is currently no reliable predictive marker for response to therapy. In addition, the duration of response is often limited. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of afatinib, an irreversible erbB family blocker, as a single agent or in combination with cytotoxic drugs (5-fluor­ouracil, irinotecan and oxaliplatin) or mAb ICR62 on the proliferation of a panel of human colorectal tumour cell lines and the association between the expression levels of the EGFR family members and response to treatment. Of the cells examined, EGFR-overexpressing DiFi cells were the most sensitive to treatment with both afatinib (IC50=45 nM) and ICR62 (IC50=4.33 nM). Afatinib also inhibited the growth of other tumour cell lines with IC50 values which ranged from 0.33 µM (CCL-221) to 1.62 µM (HCT-116). A significant asso­ciation was found between the co-expression of EGFR, human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER)-2 and HER-3 and response to treatment with afatinib (R=0.915, P=0.021). Treat­ment with afatinib and cytotoxic drugs was accompanied by an increase in the proportion of these cells in the sub-G0/G1 and in the S and G2/M phase of the cell cycle, respectively. We conclude that afatinib as monotherapy or in combination with other drugs shows activity in colorectal tumour cells and that determination of the co-expression of HER family members should be conducted in clinical trials using drugs targeting erbB signaling. This approach could lead to the identification of a specific subpopulation of cancer patients more likely to benefit from erbB-directed therapy.

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August 2011
Volume 39 Issue 2

Print ISSN: 1019-6439
Online ISSN:1791-2423

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Spandidos Publications style
Khelwatty SA, Essapen S, Seddon AM and Modjtahedi H: Growth response of human colorectal tumour cell lines to treatment with afatinib (BIBW2992), an irreversible erbB family blocker, and its association with expression of HER family members. Int J Oncol 39: 483-491, 2011.
APA
Khelwatty, S.A., Essapen, S., Seddon, A.M., & Modjtahedi, H. (2011). Growth response of human colorectal tumour cell lines to treatment with afatinib (BIBW2992), an irreversible erbB family blocker, and its association with expression of HER family members. International Journal of Oncology, 39, 483-491. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.2011.1054
MLA
Khelwatty, S. A., Essapen, S., Seddon, A. M., Modjtahedi, H."Growth response of human colorectal tumour cell lines to treatment with afatinib (BIBW2992), an irreversible erbB family blocker, and its association with expression of HER family members". International Journal of Oncology 39.2 (2011): 483-491.
Chicago
Khelwatty, S. A., Essapen, S., Seddon, A. M., Modjtahedi, H."Growth response of human colorectal tumour cell lines to treatment with afatinib (BIBW2992), an irreversible erbB family blocker, and its association with expression of HER family members". International Journal of Oncology 39, no. 2 (2011): 483-491. https://doi.org/10.3892/ijo.2011.1054