HERO: Targeting HER2 in Ovarian cancer

Saoirse Doyle

HER2 is a known instigator of several types of cancers. Drug treatments that specifically target HER2 have been extremely effective in treating breast and stomach cancers. However, HER2 has also been shown to be switched on in some ovarian cancers. This project aims to investigate drug treatments that have the potential to improve patient survival from ovarian cancer while minimising drug side effects.

We will use an advanced type of anti-cancer drug called an “ADC”. This special type of drug can target HER2 and also use HER2 as an entry door to deliver potent chemotherapy inside the cancer cell. The ADC can therefore have a strong anti-cancer effect and minimise damage to healthy cells. HER2 can also be targeted by small drugs that can enter the cell and stop its cancer-causing activity. The advantage of these drugs is that they are in oral tablet form and can be taken at home.

We will test two of these HER2-ADCs with oral HER2 drugs. Using cancer cells in the lab, we will test the effects of these drug combinations on cancer growth and survival characteristics. We will also analyse the binding of the ADC to the cancer cell surface and examine the take-up of the ADC inside the ovarian cancer cell with and without the additional HER2-targeted drugs.