The role of AXL as mechanism of resistance to trastuzumab and a prognostic factor in breast cancer HER2 positive: A translational approach

Abstract Background Breast cancer (BC) is a heterogeneous disease. HER2+ BC represents between 15-30% of cases. Trastuzumab (T), a monoclonal antibody, has been successfully improved clinical benefits in both adjuvant and in metastatic settings. Despite this evidence, many patients experience resistance to therapy. The objective of this study is to assess AXL as a potential mechanism of resistance and its implication as a prognostic factor. Methods We used three cell lines with acquired resistance to T. Resistant models were generated by treating parental cells (AU565, SKR3, BT474) with constant dose of T (15mg/mL) for 6 months. Cell viability was estimated by MTT assay. Proteins were asses…