Improvement of sensitivity to tamoxifen in estrogen receptor-positive and Herceptin-resistant breast cancer cells.

ABSTRACT: ERBB2 overexpression in estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer cells such as BT474 (BT) cells has been found to confer resistance to tamoxifen, and suppression of ERBB2 improves the antiproliferative effects of tamoxifen. In this study, the responsiveness to tamoxifen in the BT/HerR, Herceptin-resistant BT cell lines established through constant Herceptin exposure, was evaluated. Compared with BT cells, improvement of sensitivity to tamoxifen in BT/HerR was demonstrated by ER functional analysis and cell proliferation assay. Tamoxifen in the resistant cell line was found to inhibit 17beta-estradiol-stimulating estrogen-responsive gene pS2 expression more effectively than in BT cells in real-time PCR assay. Western blot analysis showed that cross-phosphorylation between ER and downst

SUBMITTER: Chen B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3503452 | biostudies-literature | 2008 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature