A reciprocal regulatory circuit between CD44 and FGFR2 via c-myc controls gastric cancer cell growth

Despite their suggested importance, the mechanistic roles of FGFR2 and gastric cancer stem cell (GCSC) marker CD44 remain unclear. We investigated cross talk between CD44 and FGFR2. FGFR2 and CD44 positively regulate each other's expression. While FGFR2 suppresses c-Myc transcription, CD44 activates it. c-Myc in turn augments FGFR2 transcription. CD44 knockdown (KD) depleted FGFR2 and other GCSC markers, decreased c-Myc and Sox2 expression, and suppressed tumor growth, whereas CD44 activation led to FGFR2 induction. FGFR2 KD decreased most GCSC marker expression, including CD44, but increased c-Myc and Sox2 expression and attenuated tumor growth. FGFR2 kinase inhibitor and FGFR2 neutralizing antibody decreased the CD44(+/hi) GCSC fraction. Conversely, FGFR2 overexpression increased CD44 and accelerated tumor growth in mice. FGFR2 was co-expressed and colocalized diffusively with CD44, EpCAM, and LGR5. In contrast, phospho-FGFR2 colocalized densely with CD44, forming an aggregated signaling complex that was prevented by FGFR2 inhibition. The c-Myc KD depleted FGFR2 but not CD44. Similarly to CD44(+/hi) phenotypes, sorted FGFR(+/hi) cells had larger volumes, formed more tumor spheres, grew faster in vivo with bigger tumor mass, and expressed more CD44, EpCAM, and HER2. These findings suggest that FGFR2(+/hi) cells have stemness properties. Moreover, in situ FGFR2 expression in patient-derived gastric cancer tissue correlated with tumorigenic potential in a xenograft model. In conclusion, CD44 and FGFR2 maintain stemness in gastric cancer by differentially regulating c-Myc transcription.