Inhibition of EGFR improves antitumor efficacy of vemurafenib in BRAF-mutant human melanoma in preclinical model

Background: Oncogenic activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway occurs in a variety tumour types, albeit in human melanoma the contribution of EGFR is still unclear. Methods: The potential role of EGFR was analyzed in four BRAF-mutant, one NRAS-mutant and one wild-type NRAS-BRAF-carrying human melanoma cell lines. We have tested clinically available reversible tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) gefitinib and erlotinib, irreversible EGFR-TKI pelitinib and a reversible experimental compound (PD153035) on in vitro proliferation, apoptosis, migration as well as in vivo metastatic colonization in a spleen-liver model. Results: The presence of the intracellular domain of EGFR protein and its constitutive activity were demonstrated in all cell lines. We detected significant differences between the efficacies of EGFR-TKIs, irreversible inhibition had the strongest anti-tumour potential. Compared to BRAF-mutant cells, wild-type BRAF associated with relative resistance against gefitinib. In combination with gefitinib, selective mutant BRAF-inhibitor vemurafenib showed additive effect in BRAF-mutant cell lines. Treatment of BRAF-mutant cells with gefinib- or pelitinib attenuated in vitro cell migration and in vivo colonization. Conclusions: Our preclinical data suggest that EGFR is a potential target in the therapy of BRAF-mutant malignant melanoma; however, more benefits could be expected from irreversible EGFR-TKIs and combined treatment settings.

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