miRNAs: Mediators of Erbb Family Targeted Therapy Resistance

Abstract

The ErbB/HER tyrosine kinase receptors family plays a key regulatory role in different cellular processes by activating several signaling pathways. In different tumor types, mutations or overexpression of the ErbB family members are a common feature, which led to the development of targeted therapies against this receptors. Although with this kind of treatment we are heading to a more personalized medicine, the development of acquired resistance is still an issue, therefore, several studies focused on discovering the mechanisms behind it. More recently, miRNAs have been described as important mediators of acquired resistance, specifically, acquired resistance to ErbB family targeted therapies. Ultimately, miRNA-based therapeutics using exosomes as a drug delivery model can revolutionize today’s approach of cancer treatment.

Keywords::

• acquired resistance
• ErbB family
• exosomes
• miRNAs
• targeted therapies

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The authors would like to thank the Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro – Núcleo Regional do Norte- LPCC-NRN (Portuguese League Against Cancer) and Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia- FCT (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology). F Dias is recipient of research scholarship awarded by LPCC-NRN. AL Teixeira is a research fellow from the strategic funding of the FCT (PCT: PEst- UID/DTP/00776/2013 and COMPETE: POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006868). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

The authors would like to thank the Liga Portuguesa Contra o Cancro – Núcleo Regional do Norte- LPCC-NRN (Portuguese League Against Cancer) and Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia- FCT Functional Communication Training (Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology). F Dias is recipient of research scholarship awarded by LPCC-NRN. AL Teixeira is a research fellow from the strategic funding of the FCT (PCT: PEst- UID/DTP/00776/2013 and COMPETE: POCI-01-0145-FEDER-006868). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed. No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.