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Abstract

Recent large-scale analyses have demonstrated that the genomic landscape of human cancer is complex and variable among individuals of the same tumor type. Such underlying genetic differences may in part be responsible for the varying therapeutic responses observed in cancer patients. To examine the effect of somatic genetic changes in colorectal cancer on sensitivity to a common targeted therapy, we performed complete exome sequence and copy number analyses of 129 tumors that were KRAS wild-type and analyzed their response to anti-EGFR antibody blockade in patient-derived tumorgraft models. In addition to previously identified genes, we detected mutations in ERBB2, EGFR, FGFR1, PDGFRA, and MAP2K1 as potential mechanisms of primary resistance to this therapy. Alterations in the ectodomain of EGFR were identified in patients with acquired resistance to EGFR blockade. Amplifications and sequence changes in the tyrosine kinase receptor adaptor gene IRS2 were identified in tumors with increased sensitivity to anti-EGFR therapy. Therapeutic resistance to EGFR blockade could be overcome in tumorgraft models through combinatorial therapies targeting actionable genes. These analyses provide a systematic approach to evaluate response to targeted therapies in human cancer, highlight additional mechanisms of responsiveness to anti-EGFR therapies, and provide additional avenues for intervention in the management of colorectal cancer.

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