The treatment with both inhibitors resulted in abrogation of both pathways (Figure 6A, upper panels); indeed Pt-1, Pt-2 and Pt-3 patient-derived colon cancer cells treated with the combined therapy show the inhibition of HER3, AKT, and ERK phosphorylation indicating that the compensatory activation of the two pathways induced by the single drug results in a strong response when they are administrated in combination. This evidence concerns the gene ZNF135 and malignant colon neoplasm.