Sharifnia T, Rusu V, Piccioni F, Bagul M, Imielinski M, Cherniack AD, Pedamallu CS, Wong B, Wilson FH, Garraway LA, et al. Genetic modifiers of EGFR dependence in non-small cell lung cancer. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014;111:18661–6.
NOTES
Sharifnia, TanazRusu, VictorPiccioni, FedericaBagul, MuktaImielinski, MarcinCherniack, Andrew DPedamallu, Chandra SekharWong, BangWilson, Frederick HGarraway, Levi AAltshuler, DavidGolub, Todd RRoot, David ESubramanian, AravindMeyerson, MatthewengP50CA090578/CA/NCI NIH HHS/R01CA116020/CA/NCI NIH HHS/U54 HG006093/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/R01CA109038/CA/NCI NIH HHS/R01 CA109038/CA/NCI NIH HHS/T32 CA009216/CA/NCI NIH HHS/P50 CA090578/CA/NCI NIH HHS/R01 CA116020/CA/NCI NIH HHS/5U54HG006093/HG/NHGRI NIH HHS/Research Support, N.I.H., ExtramuralProc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2014 Dec 30;111(52):18661-6. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1412228112. Epub 2014 Dec 15.
Abstract
Lung adenocarcinomas harboring activating mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) represent a common molecular subset of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases. EGFR mutations predict sensitivity to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) and thus represent a dependency in NSCLCs harboring these alterations, but the genetic basis of EGFR dependence is not fully understood. Here, we applied an unbiased, ORF-based screen to identify genetic modifiers of EGFR dependence in EGFR-mutant NSCLC cells. This approach identified 18 kinase and kinase-related genes whose overexpression can substitute for EGFR in EGFR-dependent PC9 cells, and these genes include seven of nine Src family kinase genes, FGFR1, FGFR2, ITK, NTRK1, NTRK2, MOS, MST1R, and RAF1. A subset of these genes can complement loss of EGFR activity across multiple EGFR-dependent models. Unbiased gene-expression profiling of cells overexpressing EGFR bypass genes, together with targeted validation studies, reveals EGFR-independent activation of the MEK-ERK and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT pathways. Combined inhibition of PI3K-mTOR and MEK restores EGFR dependence in cells expressing each of the 18 EGFR bypass genes. Together, these data uncover a broad spectrum of kinases capable of overcoming dependence on EGFR and underscore their convergence on the PI3K-AKT and MEK-ERK signaling axes in sustaining EGFR-independent survival.
Last updated on 02/17/2021