Abstract P5-05-03: Clonal evolution of the HER2 L755S mutation leads to acquired HER-targeted therapy resistance that can be reversed by the irreversible HER1/2 inhibitor afatinib
Authors: Xu Xiaowei , Nardone Agostina , Hu Huizhong , Qin Lanfang , Nanda Sarmistha , Heiser Laura M , Wang Nicholas , Covington Kyle R , Chen Edward S , Renwick Alexander , Wang Tao , De Angelis Carmine , Contreras Alejandro , Gutierrez Carolina , Fuqua Suzanne AW , Chamness Gary C , Shaw Chad , Wheeler David A , Gray Joe W , Hilsenbeck Susan G , Rimawi Mothaffar F , Osborne C  Kent , Schiff Rachel 
Published: May 2015

Background: Targeting HER2 with lapatinib (L), trastuzumab (T), or the LT combination, is effective in HER2+ breast cancer (BC), but acquired resistance commonly occurs. In our 12-week neoadjuvant trial (TBCRC006) of LT without chemotherapy in HER2+ BC, the overall pathologic complete response rate (pCR) was 27%. To investigate resistance mechanisms our lab developed 10 HER2+ BC cell lines resistant (R) to these drugs (LR/TR/LTR). To discover potential predictive markers/therapeutic targets to circumvent resistance, we completed genomic profiling of the cell line panel and a subset of pre-treatment baseline specimens from TBCRC006.

Methods: Parental (P) lines and LR/TR/LTR derivatives of 9 HER2+ BC cell line models were profiled with whole exome and RNA sequencing. Mutations detected in R lines but not in same-model P lines were identified. cDNAs were assessed by targeted Sanger sequencing. Single cells of the BT474AZ-LR line were cloned and their cDNAs were sequenced. Mutant-specific Q-PCR was designed to sensitively quantify mutations. Whole exome sequencing (minimum depth 100X) of 17 baseline tumor/normal pairs from TBCRC006 were performed on Illumina HiSeq.

Results: We found and validated the HER2 L755S mutation in the BT474ATCC-LTR line and the BT474AZ-LR line (∼30% of DNA/RNA/cDNA in BT474AZ-LR), in which the HER pathway was reactivated to cause resistance. Overexpression of this mutation was previously shown to induce L resistance in HER2-negative BC cell lines, suggesting a role as an acquired L/LT resistance driver in HER2+ BC. Sanger sequencing of BT474AZ-LR single cell clones found the HER2 L755S mutation in every clone but only in ∼30% of the HER2 copies. Using sensitive mutant-specific Q-PCR, we found statistically higher levels of HER2 L755S expression in BT474ATCC-P and BT474AZ-P compared to parentals of other HER2+ BC cell lines (UACC812/AU565/SKBR3/SUM190). These data suggest that this mutation exists subclonally within BT474 parental lines and was selected to become the more dominant population in the two resistant lines. The HER1/2 irreversible tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) afatinib (Afa) robustly inhibited growth of both BT474ATCC-LTR/AZ-LR cells (IC50: Afa 0.02µM vs. L 3 µM). Western blots confirmed inhibition of the HER and downstream Akt and MAPK signaling in the LR cells by Afa. Sequencing of TBCRC006 baseline samples found the HER2 L755S mutation in 1/17 subjects. This patient did not achieve pCR after neoadjuvant LT treatment. The variant was present in 2% of the reads, indicating it as a subclonal event in this patient’s baseline tumor.

Conclusion: Acquired resistance in two of our BT474 LR/LTR lines is due to selection of HER2 L755S subclones present in the parental cell population. The higher HER2 L755S levels detected in BT474 parentals compared with other HER2+ BC parental lines, and detection of its subclonal presence in a pre-treatment HER2+ BC patient, suggest that sensitive mutation detection methods will be needed to identify patients with potentially actionable HER family mutations in primary tumor. Treating this patient group with an irreversible TKI like Afa may prevent resistance and improve clinical outcome of this subset of HER2+ BC.

Citation Format: Xiaowei Xu, Agostina Nardone, Huizhong Hu, Lanfang Qin, Sarmistha Nanda, Laura M Heiser, Nicholas Wang, Kyle R Covington, Edward S Chen, Alexander Renwick, Tao Wang, Carmine De Angelis, Alejandro Contreras, Carolina Gutierrez, Suzanne AW Fuqua, Gary C Chamness, Chad Shaw, David A Wheeler, Joe W Gray, Susan G Hilsenbeck, Mothaffar F Rimawi, C Kent Osborne, Rachel Schiff. Clonal evolution of the HER2 L755S mutation leads to acquired HER-targeted therapy resistance that can be reversed by the irreversible HER1/2 inhibitor afatinib [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh Annual CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2014 Dec 9-13; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(9 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-05-03.