The team led by Dr. Aleix Prat, director of the Hospital Clínic Institute of Cancer and Blood Disorders, head of the IDIBAPS Translational Genomics and Targeted Therapies in Solid Tumours group and professor at the University of Barcelona, has published a review in the journal Nature Reviews Clinical Oncology. This work, in collaboration with researchers from the Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, USA, offers an in-depth look at advances in the treatment of HER2+ breast cancer, a subtype that affects approximately 20% of breast cancer patients.
Dr. Olga Martínez-Sáez, Dr. Fara Brasó-Maristany and Dr. Tomás Pascual, from the same Clínic-IDIBAPS team led by Dr. Prat, also participated in this publication in a multidisciplinary collaboration.
The review focuses on the mechanisms of action of dual HER2 inhibition, which combines two anti-HER2 drugs to block oncogenic signals and overcome the resistance that develops during treatment. Moreover, it explores the role of biomarkers in patient selection for these treatments and the implications for future, more personalized therapeutic approaches.
HER2DX, a crucial tool developed by Dr. Prat’s team
HER2DX, A genomic test that analyses 27 genes in the tumour and immune system, is a key tool for personalizing the treatment of patients with HER2+ breast cancer. This test was developed by Dr. Prat’s team and the Clínic’s spin-off, Reveal Genomics, of which Dr. Prat is co-founder. HER2DX allows the response to neoadjuvant therapy to be predicted and the long-term prognosis of patients to be assessed. Furthermore, it was recognized as one of the best inventions of 2022 by TIME Magazine.
This breakthrough demonstrates the leadership of the Clínic-IDIBAPS in the field of HER2+ breast cancer, as well as the international collaboration with the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, which for years has created important synergies in this field in order to improve clinical outcomes for patients. .