Expression of MT4-MMP, EGFR, and RB in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer Strongly Sensitizes Tumors to Erlotinib and Palbociclib Combination Therapy.

Abstract

Here, we investigated the clinical relevance of an unprecedented combination of three biomarkers in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC), both in human samples and in patient-derived xenografts of TNBC (PDX-TNBC): EGFR, its recently identified partner (MT4-MMP), and retinoblastoma protein (RB).<b>Experimental Design:</b> IHC analyses were conducted on human and PDX-TNBC samples to evaluate the production of the three biomarkers. The sensitivity of cancer cells expressing or not MT4-MMP to anti-EGFR (erlotinib) or anti-CDK4/6 inhibitor (palbociclib) was evaluated <i>in vitro</i> in 2D and 3D proliferation assays and <i>in vivo</i> using xenografts and PDX-TNBC displaying different RB, MT4-MMP, and EGFR status after single (erlotinib or palbociclib) or combined (erlotinib + palbociclib) treatments. EGFR and MT4-MMP were coexpressed in >70% of TNBC samples and PDX-TNBC, among which approximately 60% maintained RB expression. Notably, approximately 50% of all TNBC and PDX-TNBC expressed the three biomarkers. Single erlotinib and palbociclib treatments drastically reduced the <i>in vitro</i> proliferation of cells expressing EGFR and MT4-MMP when compared with control cells. Both TNBC xenografts and PDX expressing MT4-MMP, EGFR, and RB, but not PDX-TNBC with RB loss, were sensitive to erlotinib and palbociclib with an additive effect of combination therapy. Moreover, this combination was efficient in another PDX-TNBC expressing the three biomarkers and resistant to erlotinib alone. We defined a new association of three biomarkers (MT4-MMP/EGFR/RB) expressed together in 50% of TNBC and demonstrated its usefulness to predict the TNBC response to anti-EGFR and anti-CDK4/6 drugs used in single or combined therapy.