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Insertional mutagenesis in a HER2-positive breast cancer model reveals ERAS as a driver of cancer and therapy resistance

Personalized medicine for cancer patients requires a deep understanding of the underlying genetics that drive cancer and the subsequent identification of predictive biomarkers.

HER2+ breast cancer is highly aggressive and afflicted patients have a poor clinical outcome. Treatment with  the humanized monoclonal antibody against ERBB2, Trastuzumab, or the small molecule kinase inhibitor Lapatinib, typically combined with chemotherapy, significantly improves the clinical outcome, but inherent and acquired resistance to both drugs are prevalent.

ERAS which is a constitutively active RAS-family GTPase, induces primary resistance to the widely used HER2-targeting drugs through hyperactivation of the PI3K/AKT pathway, and  may serve as a novel clinical biomarker.

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