Cited by 3,527Lung Cancer Treatments and MutationsHER2/EGFR in Cancer ResearchCancer Genomics and Diagnostics

Acquired Resistance of Lung Adenocarcinomas to Gefitinib or Erlotinib Is Associated with a Second Mutation in the EGFR Kinase Domain

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Pao, William, Miller, Vincent A, Politi, Katerina A, Riely, Gregory J, Somwar, Romel, Zakowski, Maureen F, Kris, Mark G, Varmus, Harold·2005·PLoS Medicine

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Lung adenocarcinomas from patients who respond to the tyrosine kinase inhibitors gefitinib (Iressa) or erlotinib (Tarceva) usually harbor somatic gain-of-function mutations in exons encoding the kinase domain of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Despite initial responses, patients eventually progress by unknown mechanisms of "acquired" resistance. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We show that in two of five patients with acquired resistance to gefitinib or erlotinib, progressing tumors contain, in addition to a primary drug-sensitive mutation in EGFR, a secondary mutation in exon 20, which leads to substitution of methionine for threonine at position 790 (T790M) in the kinase domain. Tumor cells from a sixth patient with a drug-sensitive EGFR mutation whose tumor progressed on adjuvant gefitinib after complete resection also contained the T790M mutation. This mutation was not detected in untreated tumor samples. Moreover, no tumors with acquired resistance had KRAS mutations, which have been associated with primary resistance to these drugs. Biochemical analyses of transfected cells and growth inhibition studies with lung cancer cell lines demonstrate that the T790M mutation confers resistance to EGFR mutants usually sensitive to either gefitinib or erlotinib. Interestingly, a mutation analogous to T790M has been observed in other kinases with acquired resistance to another kinase inhibitor, imatinib (Gleevec). CONCLUSION: In patients with tumors bearing gefitinib- or erlotinib-sensitive EGFR mutations, resistant subclones containing an additional EGFR mutation emerge in the presence of drug. This observation should help guide the search for more effective therapy against a specific subset of lung cancers.

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  • T790M is the most common acquired resistance mechanism and is detected in more than half of patients after progression.

    “However, it is now well established that acquisition of a second mutation in EGFR, resulting in substitution of threonine at the “gatekeeper” amino acid 790 to methionine (T790M) is the most common resistance mechanism and is detected in tumor cells from more than 50% of patients after disease progression (20, 21).”
  • The T790M mutation substitutes methionine for threonine at position 790, increases affinity for ATP, and causes resistance to reversible EGFR TKIs such as gefitinib and erlotinib.

    “This mutation leads to the substitution of threonine by methionine at position 790, which encodes part of the kinase domain of the receptor and results in increased affinity for ATP, causing resistance to competitive inhibition by reversible EGFR TKIs such as gefitinib and erlotinib [121,122].”
  • In EGFR mutant lung cancer, the most common mechanism of acquired resistance to EGFR inhibitors is the development of a mutation in the gatekeeper residue of EGFR, T790M.

    “In EGFR mutant lung cancer, the most common mechanism of acquired resistance to EGFR inhibitors is the development of a mutation in the gatekeeper residue of EGFR, T790M (Kobayashi et al., 2005; Pao et al., 2005).”

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Authors
Pao, W., Miller, V. A., Politi, K. A., Riely, G. J., Somwar, R., Zakowski, M. F., Kris, M. G., & Varmus, H.
Affiliations
Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (US)
Corresponding author
Pao, William
Venue
PLoS Medicine
Published
2005-02-22
Volume
2
Issue
3
Pages
e73
ISSN
  • 1549-1277 (ISSN-L)
  • 1549-1676
OpenAlex
W2002937040
Cited by
3,527
References
28
Citations by year
2026: 45 · 2025: 61 · 2024: 59 · 2023: 139 · 2022: 104 · 2021: 116 · 2020: 140 · 2019: 154 · 2018: 203 · 2017: 221 · 2016: 232 · 2015: 255 · 2014: 246 · 2013: 272 · 2012: 222
FWCI
134.24
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • PLoS Medicine (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • American Cancer Society
  • CHEST Foundation
  • LUNGevity Foundation
  • AstraZeneca
  • Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
  • Washington University in St. Louis
  • National Institutes of Health
  • Genentech
  • Canadian Institutes of Health Research
  • National Cancer Institute (T 32 CA09207, T32CA009207)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Lung Cancer Treatments and Mutations
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Oncology › HER2/EGFR in Cancer Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cancer Research › Cancer Genomics and Diagnostics
Keywords
lung adenocarcinoma, gefitinib, erlotinib, acquired drug resistance, EGFR mutation, T790M mutation, EGFR kinase domain, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, KRAS mutation, imatinib resistance
MeSH terms
Erlotinib Hydrochloride, Gefitinib, Adenocarcinoma, Antineoplastic Agents, Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung, DNA Mutational Analysis, Exons, Female, Humans, Lung Neoplasms, Middle Aged, Quinazolines, Tumor Cells, Cultured, Point Mutation, Disease Progression, Drug Resistance, Neoplasm, Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction, ErbB Receptors

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