22 Apr Komen News: New Findings in HER2-Positive Breast Cancer

Science Daily reports that a Komen-funded researcher, Dr. Gary L. Johnson, and his team at UNC have found a new way by which HER2-positive tumors avoid or resist treatment. The discovery, published in the journal CELL Reports, provides evidence to support the potential development of a combination therapy for HER2-positive breast cancer. The combination therapy includes the FDA approved drug lapatinib and a new experimental drug, called a BET bromodomain inhibitor, which works by disrupting the expression of specific genes and could prevent lapatinib-resistant tumors from developing.