Overexpression of HER-2 in ovarian carcinomas

Citation
I. Hellstrom et al., Overexpression of HER-2 in ovarian carcinomas, CANCER RES, 61(6), 2001, pp. 2420-2423
Citations number
13
Categorie Soggetti
Oncology,"Onconogenesis & Cancer Research
Journal title
CANCER RESEARCH
ISSN journal
00085472 → ACNP
Volume
61
Issue
6
Year of publication
2001
Pages
2420 - 2423
Database
ISI
SICI code
0008-5472(20010315)61:6<2420:OOHIOC>2.0.ZU;2-X
Abstract
The transmembrane receptor encoded by the HER-2 cellular oncogene is amplif ied in several types of human carcinomas and provides an attractive therape utic target. Shown by immunohistology, <25% of newly diagnosed ovarian carc inomas express the HER-2 protein. However, now we report that this protein was expressed in all 20 tumor cell lines derived from stage III and IV ovar ian cancers as well as in tumor cells harvested from patients with malignan t ascites and in tumor samples taken at a second surgery, suggesting that c ells with excess expression may have a selective growth advantage. HER-2-po sitive ovarian carcinoma cells were shown to be sensitive to antibody-depen dent cellular cytotoxicity, and their in vitro proliferation was inhibited by anti-HER-2 MAb Herceptin. We postulate, therefore, that therapy which ta rgets HER-2 may be more efficacious in patients with ovarian carcinoma than indicated by the commonly low expression of HER-2 in tumors removed at the time of primary surgery.