HER2 Overexpression Triggers Dynamic Gene Expression Changes in Breast Cancer

Abstract HER2 is one of the most well-recognized oncogenes responsible for around 25% of breast cancer cases. While HER2 overexpression and activation is one of the hallmarks of HER2-positive breast cancers, the exact dynamic effects of HER2 overexpression on gene regulations in the cells have been largely unexplored. Here, combining a novel gene expression dynamic analysis method with the utilization of publicly available time-dependent gene expression datasets from HER2 overexpressed breast cancer cells, we found that HER2 regulates a vast range of genes that are essential for the proper function, such as growth, escaping apoptosis, and managing inflammatory signals, in breast cancer cells. We also found that HER2 overexpression leads to the regulation of several transcription factors such as STAT3, MYC, RELA, and ATF3 that are essential for the cell’s metabolism in breast cancer cells. Our results offer novel insights on how HER2 regulates gene expression in breast cancer cells and open new doors toward targeting HER2 for potential novel therapies for HER2-positive breast cancers.