ErbB/HER receptor activation and preclinical efficacy of lapatinib in vestibular schwannoma.

ABSTRACT: Vestibular schwannomas (VS) arising sporadically or in patients with neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2) consistently lack expression of Merlin, a tumor suppressor. Conventional treatment options include surgery and radiotherapy but there is no validated medical option. Recent evidence suggests that Merlin deficiency may result in abnormal activation of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and downstream signaling, promoting tumor growth. Although small-molecule RTK inhibitors are widely available for clinical use, no such therapy has been validated in patients with VS. To screen for RTK activation, surgical VS specimens from patients with and without NF2 were analyzed by phospho-RTK profiling arrays. Downstream signaling pathway activation was analyzed by phospho-MAPK arrays. Activated RTKs and do

SUBMITTER: Ammoun S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2940674 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature