Hepatocyte growth factor reduces sensitivity to the epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor, gefitinib, in lung adenocarcinoma cells harboring wild-type EGFR

Epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI) therapy is an option for lung cancers harboring wild-type EGFR when chemotherapeutic reagents have failed. In this study, we found that the EGFR-TKI, gefitinib, modestly suppressed proliferation of the lung cancer cell lines, A549 and H358, which both harbor wild-type EGFR. Treatment with hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) reduced the sensitivity to gefitinib, whereas sensitivity was restored by treatment with an HGF antibody, a MET inhibitor, or depletion of MET but not ErbB3 gene. Moreover, both PI3K/mTOR inhibitors and MEK inhibitors suppressed proliferation of A549 cells, whereas only PI3K/mTOR inhibitors effectively suppressed cell viability of EGFR mutant PC-9 cells. Our findings suggest that HGF reduced the gefitinib sensitivity through MET and downstream PI3K and MAPK pathways. Combined use of EGFR-TKI and MET inhibitors or inhibition of downstream signaling molecules might be a better second or third line choice for a group of patients with advanced lung cancer harboring wild-type EGFR.