Journal Article

Rapidly acquired resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors in NSCLC cell lines through de-repression of FGFR2 and FGFR3 expression

Heasley, Lydia R, Hercule, Paula, Marshall, Marianne E, Heasley, Lynn E, Doebele, Robert C, Helfrich, Barbara A, Ware, Kathryn E, Marek, Lindsay, Hinz, Trista K

2010

Overview

Despite initial and sometimes dramatic responses of specific NSCLC tumors to EGFR TKIs, nearly all will develop resistance and relapse. Gene expression analysis of NSCLC cell lines treated with the EGFR TKI, gefitinib, revealed increased levels of FGFR2 and FGFR3 mRNA. Analysis of gefitinib action on a larger panel of NSCLC cell lines verified that FGFR2 and FGFR3 expression is increased at the mRNA and protein level in NSCLC cell lines in which the EGFR is dominant for growth signaling, but not in cell lines where EGFR signaling is absent. A luciferase reporter containing 2.5 kilobases of fgfr2 5' flanking sequence was activated after gefitinib treatment, indicating transcriptional regulation as a contributing mechanism controlling increased FGFR2 expression. Induction of FGFR2 and FGFR3 protein as well as fgfr2-luc activity was also observed with Erbitux, an EGFR-specific monoclonal antibody. Moreover, inhibitors of c-Src and MEK stimulated fgfr2-luc activity to a similar degree as gefitinib, suggesting that these pathways may mediate EGFR-dependent repression of FGFR2 and FGFR3. Importantly, our studies demonstrate that EGFR TKI-induced FGFR2 and FGFR3 are capable of mediating FGF2 and FGF7 stimulated ERK activation as well as FGF-stimulated transformed growth in the setting of EGFR TKIs. In conclusion, this study highlights EGFR TKI-induced FGFR2 and FGFR3 signaling as a novel and rapid mechanism of acquired resistance to EGFR TKIs and suggests that treatment of NSCLC patients with combinations of EGFR and FGFR specific TKIs may be a strategy to enhance efficacy of single EGFR inhibitors.

• Publisher: Public Library of Science,Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subject: Analysis / Biology / Biotechnology / Blotting, Western / Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - genetics / Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - metabolism / Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - pathology / Cell adhesion & migration / Cell Biology/Cell Signaling / Cell Line, Tumor / Coculture Techniques / Drug Resistance, Neoplasm - genetics / Epidermal growth factor / Epidermal growth factor receptors / Extracellular signal-regulated kinase / Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases - metabolism / Fibroblast growth factor / Fibroblast growth factor 2 / Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 - pharmacology / Fibroblast Growth Factor 7 - pharmacology / Fibroblast growth factor receptor 2 / Fibroblast growth factor receptor 7 / Fibroblast growth factor receptors / Fibroblast growth factors / Fibroblasts - cytology / Fibroblasts - drug effects / Fibroblasts - metabolism / Gefitinib / Gene expression / Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic - drug effects / Gene regulation / Genetics and Genomics/Cancer Genetics / Humans / Inhibitors / Kinases / Ligands / Luciferase / Lung cancer / Lung Neoplasms - genetics / Lung Neoplasms - metabolism / Lung Neoplasms - pathology / Monoclonal antibodies / Morphogenesis / Mutation / Non-small cell lung carcinoma / Oncology/Lung Cancer / Pharmacology/Drug Resistance / Phenols / Phenols (Class of compounds) / Protein Kinase Inhibitors - pharmacology / Protein-tyrosine kinase / Pulmonary hypertension / Quinazolines - pharmacology / Receptor, Epidermal Growth Factor - antagonists & inhibitors / Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 2 - genetics / Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 2 - metabolism / Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 3 - genetics / Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 3 - metabolism / Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / RNA / Self sufficiency / Signal Transduction - drug effects / Signaling / Src protein / Studies / Transcription / Tumors / Tyrosine