Targeting BIG3-PHB2 interaction to overcome tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer cells

The acquisition of endocrine resistance is a common obstacle in endocrine therapy of patients with oestrogen receptor-alpha (ER alpha)-positive breast tumours. We previously demonstrated that the BIG3-PHB2 complex has a crucial role in the modulation of oestrogen/ER alpha signalling in breast cancer cells. Here we report a cell-permeable peptide inhibitor, called ERAP, that regulates multiple ERa-signalling pathways associated with tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer cells by inhibiting the interaction between BIG3 and PHB2. Intrinsic PHB2 released from BIG3 by ERAP directly binds to both nuclear-and membrane-associated ER alpha, which leads to the inhibition of multiple ER alpha-signalling pathways, including genomic and non-genomic ERa activation and ER alpha phosphorylation, and the growth of ER alpha-positive breast cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. More importantly, ERAP treatment suppresses tamoxifen resistance and enhances tamoxifen responsiveness in ER alpha-positive breast cancer cells. These findings suggest inhibiting the interaction between BIG3 and PHB2 may be a new therapeutic strategy for the treatment of luminal-type breast cancer.