Melatonin potentiates the cytotoxic effect of Neratinib in HER2+ breast cancer through promoting endocytosis and lysosomal degradation of HER2

Abstract

Complete blockade of the HER2 protein itself and HER signaling network is critical to achieving effective HER2-targeted therapies. Despite the success of HER2-targeted therapies, the diseases will relapse in a significant fraction of patients with HER2+ breast cancers. How to improve the therapeutic efficacy of existing HER2-targeted agents remains an unmet clinical need. Here, we uncover a role of Melatonin in diminishing HER2-mediated signaling by destruction of HER2 protein. Mechanistically, Melatonin treatment attenuated the protective effect of the HSP90 chaperone complex on its client protein HER2, triggering ubiquitylation and subsequent endocytic lysosomal degradation of HER2. The inhibitory effect of Melatonin on HER2 signaling substantially enhanced the cytotoxic effects of the pan-HER inhibitor Neratinib in HER2+ breast cancer cells. Lastly, we demonstrate that dual inhibition of HER2 by combined use of Melatonin and Neratinib effectively blocked the growth of HER2+ breast tumor xenografts in vivo. Our findings shed light on the potential use of Melatonin in a novel dual HER2 blockade strategy for HER2+ breast cancer treatment.