Efficacy of newly discovered DNA aptamers targeting AXL in a lung cancer cell with acquired resistance to Erlotinib

BACKGROUND: Accumulating evidences indicate that AXL overexpression or activation is associated with cancer progression and acquired resistance to targeted anti-cancer drugs such as epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs). Despite recent development of several drugs that target multiple receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs), drugs that selectively target AXL signaling are extremely rare. Short nucleic acid aptamers are non-immunogenic molecules with high binding affinity and specificity to their target molecules that could potentially be used as a novel cancer treatment. METHODS: Modified-DNA aptamers were selected on the basis of its ability to bind recombinant human AXL. AXL aptamers were selected for their inhibition of AXL and then selected aptamers were tested for their use to overcome acquired resistant to EGFR-TKI on a lung cancer cell with acquired resistance to erlotinib. RESULTS: These new AXL aptamers inhibited cell viability to an extent of 30–40% in HCC827/ER cells with acquired resistance to erlotinib. The possible mechanism of overcoming the acquired resistance may be by inhibiting the activation of Akt and Erk. Although, aptamers effectively decreased cell viability of erlotinib‐resistant cell line, the combination of aptamers and erlotinib did not synergistically decrease the survival of the resistant cell line. CONCLUSIONS: We developed newly modified DNA aptamers that selectively bind to AXL receptors, and assessed their efficacy in a human lung cancer cell with acquired resistance to EGFR-TKI.