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MEK inhibitors reverse resistance in epidermal growth factor receptor mutation lung cancer cells with acquired resistance to gefitinib.

ABSTRACT: Lung adenocarcinoma cells harboring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations are sensitive to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), including gefitinib. Acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs develops after prolonged treatments. The study was prompt to explore effective strategies against resistance to EGFR-TKIs. We established gefitinib resistant PC-9 cells which harbor EGFR exon 19 deletion. Known mechanisms for intrinsic or acquired EGFR-TKI resistance, including KRAS mutation, HER2 mutation, EGFR T790M mutation and MET gene amplification, were studied, and we did not observe any known mechanisms for intrinsic or acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs in the resistant cells. In the parental PC-9 cells, labeled as PC-9/wt, gefitinib completely inhibited EGF-induced phosphorylation of EGFR, AKT and ERK. Gefitinib inhibited EGFR phosphorylation, but was unable to block EGF-induced phosphorylation of ERK in resistant cells, labeled as PC-9/gef cells, including PC-9/gefB4, PC-9/gefE3, and PC-9/gefE7 subclones. We detected NRAS Q61K mutation in the PC-9/gef cells but not the PC-9/wt cells. MEK inhibitors, either AZD6244 or CI1040, inhibited ERK phosphorylation and sensitized gefitinib-induced cytotoxicity in PC-9/gef cells. Whereas MEK inhibitors or gefitinib alone did not activate caspases in PC-9/gef cells, combination of gefitinib and AZD6244 or CI1040 induced apoptosis. Our in vivo studies showed that gefitinib inhibited growth of PC-9/wt xenografts but not PC-9/gef xenografts. Furthermore, combination of a MEK inhibitor and gefitinib inhibited growth of both PC-9/wt xenografts and PC-9/gefB4 xenografts. To conclude, persistent activation of ERK pathway contributes to the acquired gefitinib-resistance. Combined treatment of gefitinib and MEK inhibitors may be therapeutically useful for acquired gefitinib-resistance lung adenocarcinoma cells harboring EGFR mutations.

SUBMITTER: Huang MH

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5528404 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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MEK inhibitors reverse resistance in epidermal growth factor receptor mutation lung cancer cells with acquired resistance to gefitinib.

Huang Ming-Hung MH Lee Jih-Hsiang JH Chang Ya-Ju YJ Tsai Hsin-Hui HH Lin Yu-Lin YL Lin Anya Maan-Yuh AM Yang James Chih-Hsin JC

Molecular oncology 20121013 1

Lung adenocarcinoma cells harboring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations are sensitive to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), including gefitinib. Acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs develops after prolonged treatments. The study was prompt to explore effective strategies against resistance to EGFR-TKIs. We established gefitinib resistant PC-9 cells which harbor EGFR exon 19 deletion. Known mechanisms for intrinsic or acquired EGFR-TKI resistance, including KRAS mutation, HER2 muta ...[more]

PMID: 23102728

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Project description:BackgroundLung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer. In traditional anti-cancer therapy, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) have been proven to be beneficial for patients with EGFR mutations. However, patients with EGFR wild-type NSCLC were usually not respond to EGFR-TKIs. Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) is a key molecular in the PRC2 complex and plays an important role in epigenetic regulation and is overexpressed in variant tumors. EZH2 inhibitors have been reported to sensitize variant tumor cells to anticancer drugs. This study aimed to investigate whether the EZH2 inhibitors, GSK343 and DZNep when combined with gefitinib can reverse EGFR-TKIs resistance in EGFR wild-type NSCLC cells.MethodsThe RNA-sequencing data of patients with NSCLC [502 patients with lung squamous cell carcinoma, including 49 paracancerous lung tissues and 513 patients with lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD), including 59 paracancerous lung tissues] from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), were analyzed for EZH2 expression. EZH2 expression was verified in 40 NSCLC tissue cancer samples and their corresponding paracancerous tissues from our institute (TJMUGH) via RT-PCR. A549 and H1299 cells treated with siRNA or EZH2 inhibitors were subjected to cell viability and apoptosis analyses as well to EGFR pathway proteins expression analyses via western blotting.ResultsEZH2 was upregulated in human NSCLC tissues and correlated with poor prognosis in patients with LUAD based on data from both TCGA and TJMUGH. Both GSK343 and DZNep sensitized EGFR wild-type LUAD cells (A549 and H1299) to gefitinib and suppressed cell viability and proliferation in vitro by downregulating the phosphorylation of EGFR and AKT and by inducing cell apoptosis. Co-administration of EZH2 inhibitors (GSK343 or DZNep) with gefitinib exerted a stronger inhibitory effect on tumor activity, cell proliferation and cell migration than single drug administration in vitro and in vivo.ConclusionsThese data suggest that the combination of EZH2 inhibitors with EGFR-TKIs may be an effective method for treating NSCLC-patients with EGFR-wild type, who do not want to undergo traditional treatment with chemotherapy.

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MEK inhibitors reverse resistance in epidermal growth factor receptor mutation lung cancer cells with acquired resistance to gefitinib.

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MEK inhibitors reverse resistance in epidermal growth factor receptor mutation lung cancer cells with acquired resistance to gefitinib.

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