Abstract 3370: The role of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in resistance to Erlotinib in EGFR mutant NSCLC cell line models
Authors: Chau Andrew , Mercado Peter , Argast Gretchen , Iwata Kenneth , Brown Eric , Rosenfeld-Franklin Maryland , Miglarese Mark , Epstein David , Thomson Stuart 
Published: June 2012

The EGFR kinase inhibitor erlotinib is approved as a maintenance therapy in 1st line NSCLC as well as for treatment of 2nd/3rd line NSCLC and in combination with Gemcitabine for pancreatic cancer. It has been observed that the most pronounced responses to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI's) were observed in patients whose tumors expressed a mutated form of the EGFR kinase. These mutations mapped to the kinase domain of the receptor and functionally have been shown to render tumors and cells lines onco-addicted to EGFR signaling. Although patients expressing a mutated EGFR show a dramatic initial response to EGFR TKI's, ∼50% of these patients will progress while on therapy after 1-2 years. The mechanisms that underlie this acquired resistance to EGFR TKI therapy have been intensively studied and include but are not limited to the presence of a second mutation, T790M, or increased HGF-MET signaling.

Previously, the role of epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) in resistance to EGFR kinase inhibitors has been described in the context of wild type EGFR. EMT. We were therefore interested in understanding whether EMT could play a role in resistance to EGFR TKIs in the context of an EGFR mutation. Here we show that a panel of NSCLC cell lines, expressing mutant EGFR, can undergo an EMT in response to TGFβ treatment. The cell lines take on a scattered and spindle-like morphology and also down regulate the expression of E-cadherin and up regulate expression of vimentin, classic protein markers of an EMT. Importantly we show that after undergoing EMT, the EGFR mutant line HCC827 has reduced sensitivity to erlotnib treatment which is regained after reversal of the EMT. To further explore whether EMT could play a role in acquired resistance to erlotinib, we generated in vitro cell line models that were resistant to EGFR inhibition through continued culturing in the presence of erlotinib over a 6 month period. Resistant clones generated from parental HCC4006 cells acquired a more scattered and spindle-like morphology consistent with an EMT. These clones had down-regulated E-cadherin and ErbB3 expression and upregulated vimentin, fibronectin and Zeb1 expression and also showed a gene expression pattern consistent with having undergone an EMT. In addition, the resistant H4006 clones were more migratory and invasive than their parental counterpart. Finally we show that the resistant clones are enriched for stem cell markers and have enhanced signaling through the Src family kinases and the JAK-STAT pathway suggesting a mechanistic rationale for their reduced sensitivity to EGFR inhibitors.

Taken together. these data indicate that NSCLC cell lines that express a mutant version of EGFR are able to undergo an EMT which can influence the efficacy of EGFR TKIs, suggesting that this may be an additional mechanism underlying the acquired resistance of NSCLC patients to EGFR therapy in the clinic.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3370. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-3370