Research from Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine Provides New Data on Breast Cancer (Single cell lineage tracing reveals clonal dynamics of anti-EGFR therapy resistance in triple negative breast cancer).

A recent study conducted by the Telethon Institute of Genetics and Medicine explores the resistance to anti-EGFR therapy in triple negative breast cancer (TNBC). The researchers used cellular barcoding and single-cell transcriptomics to analyze the subclonal dynamics of EGFR-amplified TNBC cells in response to afatinib, a tyrosine kinase inhibitor. They discovered a rare subpopulation of cells with elevated expression levels of Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 2 (IGFBP2), which rendered the TNBC cells tolerant to afatinib treatment by activating the compensatory insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGF1-R) signaling pathway. The study provides new insights into the complex signaling network driving EGFR-targeted therapy resistance and offers potential for the development of personalized treatment strategies for TNBC. [Extracted from the article]