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EGFR-mutant transformed small cell lung cancer harbors intratumoral heterogeneity targetable with MEK inhibitor combination therapy

ABSTRACT: Small cell lung cancer (SCLC) transformation is an incompletely characterized mechanism of resistance to epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) in EGFR mutant cancers, limiting development of optimal treatment approaches. Through single-cell RNA sequencing of malignant pleural effusions from patients who underwent SCLC transformation, we identified heterogeneity and diversity including distinct neuroendocrine (NE) and mesenchymal non-NE cancer cell subsets, which was maintained in patient-derived cell lines. We demonstrate that EZH2 regulates EGFR expression in NE cells where EGFR expression is silenced at baseline. Although neither epigenetic derepression nor exogenous overexpression of mutant EGFR sensitized the cells to EGFR inhibition, non-NE cells exhibited selective sensitivity to MEK inhibitors. Combined MEK inhibitor and chemotherapy effectively inhibited growth of both NE and non-NE cells in vitro and in vivo. Our findings demonstrate that EGFR mutant SCLC is composed of mixed cell states with distinct therapeutic vulnerabilities and offer a novel therapeutic strategy to target tumor heterogeneity in highly plastic and treatment-resistant malignancies such as SCLC transformed cancers.

ORGANISM(S): Homo sapiens

PROVIDER: GSE310962 | GEO | 2025/11/25

REPOSITORIES: GEO

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Project description:The study was designed to identify the molecular changes that occur in EGFR mutant NSCLCs that become resistant to TKI by transforming to SCLC. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are effective treatments for non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLCs) with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. However, they do not lead to cures, and, on average, relapse occurs after one year of continuous treatment. In a subset of patients, a fundamental histological transformation from NSCLC to small cell lung cancer (SCLC) is observed in the resistant cancers, but the molecular changes associated with this transformation remain unknown. Analysis of a cohort of tumor samples and cell lines derived from resistant EGFR mutant patients with SCLC transformation revealed that RB is lost in 100% of these cases, but rarely in those that remain NSCLC. Global changes in gene expression, including increased neuroendocrine marker expression and absence of EGFR expression, are observed in cancers that transformed to SCLC. Consistent with their genetic and epigenetic similarities to classical SCLC, cell lines derived from resistant EGFR mutant SCLC biopsies are substantially more sensitive to ABT-263 treatment compared to those derived from resistant EGFR mutant NSCLCs. Together, these findings suggest that despite developing initially as EGFR mutant adenocarcinomas, this subset of resistant cancers ultimately take on many of the molecular and phenotypic characteristics of classical SCLC. The patient-derived cell line models MGH119, MGH121, MGH125, MGH126, MGH131-1, MGH131-2, MGH134 and MGH156 were developed on collagen coated plates in ACL4 medium and transferred to RPMI. MGH157 was developed initially in RPMI. The cell line MGH141 was derived using the feeder system with irradiated fibroblasts (5000 rad) from normal patient tissue. When a tumor cell majority was observed it was passaged off of the feeder layer and later transferred to RPMI medium for experiments. The development of a model was considered complete when it was independent of the feeder system, free of stromal cells, and determined to maintain known patient tumor mutations. MGH119-R was derived in vitro from the treatment naive model, MGH119, through in vitro exposure to gefitinib, escalating from 10nM to a final concentration of 1Î¼M.

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EGFR-mutant transformed small cell lung cancer harbors intratumoral heterogeneity targetable with MEK inhibitor combination therapy

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