Inhibition of human lung cancer cell line growth by an anti-p185HER2 antibody

p185HER2, the product of the c-erbB-2 or HER2 gene, is a membrane-bound tyrosine kinase that has structural similarity to the epidermal growth factor receptor. Functionally, interaction of HER2 with its ligand or p185HER2 antibodies affects the growth and differentiation of HER2-expressing breast cancer cell lines. As p185HER2 is also expressed in human lung cancers and human lung cancer cell lines, we hypothesized that these cell lines would also respond to p185HER2 antibodies. To test this hypothesis, we cultured human non-small cell lung cancer cell lines in the presence of a p185HER2 monoclonal antibody called 4D5. 4D5 inhibited the growth of p185HER2-expressing cell lines in a dose-dependent fashion. In addition, BEAS.2B, a p185HER2-nonexpressing bronchial epithelial cell line, was transfected with the HER2 cDNA, resulting in high-level p185HER2 expression, and growth of BEAS.HER2 was now inhibited by 4D5 exposure. Mechanistically, 4D5 appeared to have a weak agonist effect on the tyrosine kinase function of p185HER2, as exposure of p185HER2-expressing cell lines to 4D5 resulted in increased p185HER2 phosphorylation. Furthermore, inhibition of tyrosine kinase function with Genistein reversed the 4D5-induced growth inhibition. Therefore, 4D5 can regulate the growth of p185HER2-expressing lung cancer cell lines through agonist effects on p185HER2.