HER2 Gene Amplification Probe Detection Kit (IVD)

HER2 Gene Amplification Probe Detection Kit

ERBB2, commonly referred to as HER2, is amplified and/or overexpressed in 20-30% of invasive breast carcinomas. HER2-positive breast cancer is treated in a separate manner from other subtypes of breast cancer and commonly presents as more aggressive disease. Metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer is now commonly treated with HER2-targeted therapy. Apart from being amplified/overexpressed, ERBB2 activating mutations have been shown to have clinical importance in HER2-negative breast cancer. These mutations have shown sensitivity to the tyrosine kinase inhibitor neratinib, and highlight the importance of clinical sequencing efforts in treating breast cancer.

This gene encodes a member of the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor family of receptor tyrosine kinases. This protein has no ligand binding domain of its own and therefore cannot bind growth factors. However, it does bind tightly to other ligand-bound EGF receptor family members to form a heterodimer, stabilizing ligand binding and enhancing kinase-mediated activation of downstream signaling pathways, such as those involving mitogen-activated protein kinase and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase. Allelic variations at amino acid positions 654 and 655 of isoform a (positions 624 and 625 of isoform b) have been reported, with the most common allele, Ile654/Ile655, shown here. Amplification and/or overexpression of this gene has been reported in numerous cancers, including breast and ovarian tumors. Alternative splicing results in several additional transcript variants, some encoding different isoforms and others that have not been fully characterized.