Lasofoxifene as a potential treatment for aromatase inhibitor-resistant ER-positive breast cancer

Abstract

Background

Breast cancers treated with aromatase inhibitors (AIs) can develop AI resistance, which is often driven by estrogen receptor-alpha (ERα/ESR1) activating mutations, as well as by ER-independent signaling pathways. The breast ER antagonist lasofoxifene, alone or combined with palbociclib, elicited antitumor activities in a xenograft model of ER + metastatic breast cancer (mBC) harboring ESR1 mutations. The current study investigated the activity of LAS in a letrozole-resistant breast tumor model that does not have ESR1 mutations.

Methods

Letrozole-resistant, MCF7 LTLT cells tagged with luciferase-GFP were injected into the mammary duct inguinal glands of NSG mice (MIND model; 6 mice/group). Mice were randomized to vehicle, lasofoxifene ± palbociclib, fulvestrant ± palbociclib, or palbociclib alone 2–3 weeks after cell injections. Tumor growth and metastases were monitored with in vivo and ex vivo luminescence imaging, terminal tumor weight measurements, and histological analysis. The experiment was repeated with the same design and 8–9 mice in each treatment group.

Results

Western blot analysis showed that the MCF7 LTLT cells had lower ERα and higher HER2 expressions compared with normal MCF7 cells. Lasofoxifene ± palbociclib, but not fulvestrant, significantly reduced primary tumor growth versus vehicle as assessed by in vivo imaging of tumors at study ends. Percent tumor area in excised mammary glands was significantly lower for lasofoxifene plus palbociclib versus vehicle. Ki67 staining showed decreased overall tumor cell proliferation with lasofoxifene ± palbociclib. The lasofoxifene + palbociclib combination was also associated with significantly fewer bone metastases compared with vehicle. Similar results were observed in the repeat experiment.

Conclusions

In a mouse model of letrozole-resistant breast cancer with no ESR1 mutations, reduced levels of ERα, and overexpression of HER2, lasofoxifene alone or combined with palbociclib inhibited primary tumor growth more effectively than fulvestrant. Lasofoxifene plus palbociclib also reduced bone metastases. These results suggest that lasofoxifene alone or combined with a CDK4/6 inhibitor may offer benefits to patients who have ER-low and HER2-positive, AI-resistant breast cancer, independent of ESR1 mutations.