Project description:Osimertinib has become a standard of care in the first-line treatment of advanced-stage non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harboring exon 19 and 21 activating mutations in the EGFR gene. Nevertheless, the 18.9-month median progression-free survival emphasizes the fact that resistance to osimertinib therapy is inevitable. Acquired resistance mechanisms to osimertinib in EGFR-driven NSCLC include MET amplification, EGFR C797S mutation, neuroendocrine differentiation, small-cell lung carcinoma histologic transformation, PD-L1 and KRAS amplifications and ESR1-AKAP12 and MKRN1-BRAF translocations, as well as BRAF V600 mutation. This last one represents 3% of the acquired resistance mechanisms to osimertinib. In this review, we discuss the rationale for EGFR/BRAF/MEK co-inhibition in the light of a clinical case of EGFR-mutant NSCLC developing a BRAF V600 mutation as an acquired resistance mechanism to osimertinib and responding to the association of osimertinib plus dabrafenib and trametinib. Additionally, we discuss the acquired resistance mechanisms to osimertinib plus dabrafenib and trametinib combination in that context.
Project description:BACKGROUND:Over the past years, EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) revolutionized treatment response. 1st-generation (reversible) EGFR TKI and later the 2nd -generation irreversible EGFR TKI Afatinib were aimed to improve treatment response. Nevertheless, diverse resistance mechanisms develop within the first year of therapy. Here, we evaluate the prevalence of acquired resistance mechanisms towards reversible and irreversible EGFR TKI. METHODS:Rebiopsies of patients after progression to EGFR TKI therapy (>?6?months) were targeted to histological and molecular analysis. Multiplexed targeted sequencing (NGS) was conducted to identify acquired resistance mutations (e.g. EGFR p.T790M). Further, Fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) was applied to investigate the status of bypass mechanisms like, MET or HER2 amplification. RESULTS:One hundred twenty-three rebiopsy samples of patients that underwent first-line EGFR TKI therapy (PFS ?6?months) were histologically and molecularly profiled upon clinical progression. The EGFR p.T790M mutation is the major mechanism of acquired resistance in patients treated with reversible as well as irreversible EGFR TKI. Nevertheless a statistically significant difference for the acquisition of T790M mutation has been identified: 45% of afatinib- vs 65% of reversible EGFR TKI treated patients developed a T790M mutation (p-value 0.02). Progression free survival (PFS) was comparable in patients treated with irreversible EGFR irrespective of the sensitising primary mutation or the acquisition of p.T790M. CONCLUSIONS:The EGFR p.T790M mutation is the most prominent mechanism of resistance to reversible and irreversible EGFR TKI therapy. Nevertheless there is a statistically significant difference of p.T790M acquisition between the two types of TKI, which might be of importance for clinical therapy decision.
Project description:Patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumours harbour activating mutations within the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) frequently derive significant clinical and radiographic benefits from treatment with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). As such, prospective identification of EGFR mutations is now the standard of care worldwide. However, acquired therapeutic resistance to these agents invariably develops. Over the past 10 years, great strides have been made in defining the molecular mechanisms of EGFR TKI resistance in an effort to design rational strategies to overcome this acquired drug resistance. Approximately 60% of patients with acquired resistance to the EGFR TKIs (erlotinib, gefitinib, and afatinib) develop a new mutation within the drug target. This mutation-T790M-has been shown to alter drug binding and enzymatic activity of the mutant EGF receptor. Less common mechanisms of acquired resistance include MET amplification, ERBB2 amplification, transformation to small-cell lung cancer, and others. Here, we present a condensed overview of the literature on EGFR-mutant NSCLC, paying particular attention to mechanisms of drug resistance, recent clinical trial results, and novel strategies for identifying and confronting drug resistance, while also striving to identify gaps in current knowledge. These advances are rapidly altering the treatment landscape for EGFR-mutant NSCLC, expanding the armamentarium of available therapies to maximize patient benefit.
Project description:Patients with EGFR-mutant lung cancer derive significant therapeutic benefit from treatment with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI). Unfortunately, acquired resistance is an inevitable consequence of this treatment strategy, with a broad variety of resistance mechanisms including acquired EGFR mutations (e.g., T790M) and activation of bypass signaling pathways, such as MET and HER2. Several therapeutic strategies hypothesized to delay or overcome resistance have been tested in clinical trials, including "next-generation" EGFR TKIs and rational combinations of targeted agents. However, to date, there are no FDA-approved therapies for patients with acquired resistance to first-line EGFR TKI therapy. There remains a critical need for more effective and better tailored treatments in this setting to match treatments to the individual patient and specific resistance mechanism at hand. In this review, we discuss known mechanisms of resistance to first-line EGFR TKI therapy and describe previous and ongoing strategies to overcome resistance.
Project description:The clinical efficacy of EGFR kinase inhibitors gefitinib and erlotinib is limited by the development of drug resistance. The most common mechanism of drug resistance is the secondary EGFR T790M mutation. Strategies to overcome EGFR T790M mediated drug resistance include the use of mutant selective EGFR inhibitors, including WZ4002, or by the use of high concentrations of irreversible quinazoline EGFR inhibitors such as PF299804. In the current study we develop drug resistant versions of the EGFR mutant PC9 cell line which reproducibly develops EGFR T790M as a mechanism of drug resistance to gefitinib. Neither PF299804 resistant (PFR) or WZ4002 resistant (WZR) clones of PC9 harbor EGFR T790M. Instead, they demonstrate activated IGF1R signaling as a result of loss of expression of IGFBP3 and the IGF1R inhibitor, BMS 536924, restores EGFR inhibitor sensitivity. Intriguingly, prolonged exposure to either PF299804 or WZ4002 results in the emergence of a more drug resistant subclone which contains ERK activation. A MEK inhibitor, CI-1040, partially restores sensitivity to EGFR/IGF1R inhibitor combination. Moreover, an IGF1R or MEK inhibitor used in combination with either PF299804 or WZ4002 completely prevents the emergence of drug resistant clones in this model system. Our studies suggest that more effective means of inhibiting EGFR T790M will prevent the emergence of this common drug resistance mechanism in EGFR mutant NSCLC. However, multiple drug resistance mechanisms can still emerge. Preventing the emergence of drug resistance, by targeting pathways activated in resistant cancers before they emerge, may be a more effective clinical strategy. Total of three samples with duplicate or triplicate each were analyzed.
Project description:Non-small-cell lung cancer harboring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations attains a meaningful response to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). However, acquired resistance to EGFR-TKIs could affect long-term outcome in almost all patients. To identify the potential mechanisms of resistance, we established cell lines resistant to EGFR-TKIs from the human lung cancer cell lines PC9 and11-18, which harbored activating EGFR mutations. One erlotinib-resistant cell line from PC9 and two erlotinib-resistant cell lines and two gefitinib-resistant cell lines from 11-18 were independently established. Almost complete loss of mutant delE746-A750 EGFR gene was observed in the erlotinib-resistant cells isolated from PC9, and partial loss of the mutant L858R EGFR gene copy was specifically observed in the erlotinib- and gefitinib-resistant cells from 11-18. However, constitutive activation of EGFR downstream signaling, PI3K/Akt, was observed even after loss of the mutated EGFR gene in all resistant cell lines even in the presence of the drug. In the erlotinib-resistant cells from PC9, constitutive PI3K/Akt activation was effectively inhibited by lapatinib (a dual TKI of EGFR and HER2) or BIBW2992 (pan-TKI of EGFR family proteins). Furthermore, erlotinib with either HER2 or HER3 knockdown by their cognate siRNAs also inhibited PI3K/Akt activation. Transfection of activating mutant EGFR complementary DNA restored drug sensitivity in the erlotinib-resistant cell line. Our study indicates that loss of addiction to mutant EGFR resulted in gain of addiction to both HER2/HER3 and PI3K/Akt signaling to acquire EGFR-TKI resistance.
Project description:IntroductionEpidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are associated with favorable response in EGFR mutant lung cancer. Acquired resistance to reversible EGFR TKIs remains a significant barrier, and acquired EGFR T790M-mutation is the major mechanism. Second-generation irreversible EGFR TKI, afatinib, had also been approved for treating EGFR mutant lung cancer patients, but the mechanism of acquired resistance to afatinib has not been well studied.ResultsForty-two patients had tissue specimens taken after acquiring resistance to afatinib. The sensitizing EGFR mutation were all consistent between pre- and post-afatinib tissues. Twenty patients (47.6%) had acquired T790M mutation. T790M rate was not different between first-generation EGFR TKI-naïve patients (50%) and first-generation EGFR TKI-treated patients (46.4%) (p = 0.827). No clinical characteristics or EGFR mutation types were associated with the development of acquired T790M. No other second-site EGFR mutations were detected. There were no small cell or squamous cell lung cancer transformation. Other genetic mutations were not identified in PIK3CA, BRAF, HER2, KRAS, NRAS, MEK1, AKT2, LKB1 and JAK2.MethodsAfatinib-prescription record of our department of pharmacy from January 2007 and December 2014 was retrieved. We investigated patients with tissue specimens available after acquiring resistance to afatinib. Enrolled patients should have partial response or durable stable disease of treatment response to afatinib. Various mechanisms of acquired resistance to first-generation EGFR TKIs were evaluated. Histology and cytology were reviewed. EGFR, PIK3CA, BRAF, HER2, KRAS, NRAS, MEK1, AKT2, LKB1 and JAK2 genetic alterations were evaluated by sequencing. Statistical analysis was performed using Chi-square test and Kaplan-Meier method.ConclusionsT790M was detected in half of the lung adenocarcinoma after acquiring resistance to afatinib. T790M is still the major acquired resistance mechanism. First-generation EGFR TKI exposure did not influence the prevalence of T790M in lung cancer acquired resistance to afatinib.
Project description:Acquired resistance to tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) represents a major challenge for personalized cancer therapy. Multiple genetic mechanisms of acquired TKI resistance have been identified in several types of human cancer. However, the possibility that cancer cells may also evade treatment by co-opting physiologically regulated receptors has not been addressed. Here, we show the first example of this alternate mechanism in brain tumors by showing that EGF receptor (EGFR)-mutant glioblastomas (GBMs) evade EGFR TKIs by transcriptionally de-repressing platelet-derived growth factor receptor ? (PDGFR?). Mechanistic studies show that EGFRvIII signaling actively suppresses PDGFR? transcription in an mTORC1- and extracellular signal-regulated kinase-dependent manner. Genetic or pharmacologic inhibition of oncogenic EGFR renders GBMs dependent on the consequently de-repressed PDGFR? signaling for growth and survival. Importantly, combined inhibition of EGFR and PDGFR? signaling potently suppresses tumor growth in vivo. These data identify a novel, nongenetic TKI resistance mechanism in brain tumors and provide compelling rationale for combination therapy.These results provide the fi rst clinical and biologic evidence for receptor tyrosinekinase (RTK) "switching" as a mechanism of resistance to EGFR inhibitors in GBM and provide a molecular explanation of how tumors can become "addicted" to a non amplified, nonmutated, physiologically regulated RTK to evade targeted treatment.
Project description:Although epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-targeted therapy has improved clinical outcomes of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) carrying activating EGFR mutations, the development of acquired resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs), including the promising third-generation ones, results in disease progression and has become an unavoidable problem that limits patient long-term benefit. The third-generation EGFR-TKIs, osimertinib and almonertinib, are now approved for the treatment of advanced NSCLC patients harboring activating EGFR mutations (first-line) and/or the resistant T790M mutation (second-line). Clinically, appropriate management of acquired resistance to third-generation EGFR-TKIs will substantially improve their long-term efficacy against EGFR-mutant NSCLC. Recent preclinical and clinical studies suggest that activation of the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK signaling pathway may be an important resistance mechanism and accordingly co-targeting this pathway effectively overcomes and abrogates acquired resistance to third-generation EGFR-TKIs. This review focuses on discussing the scientific rationale for and potential of co-targeting MEK/ERK signaling in delaying and overcoming acquired resistance to third-generation EGFR-TKIs, particularly osimertinib.