FGFR1 mRNA and protein expression, not gene copy number, predict FGFR TKI sensitivity across all lung cancer histologies.
OBJECTIVE
FGFR1 gene copy number (GCN) is being evaluated as a biomarker for FGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) response in squamous cell lung cancers (SCC). The exclusive use of FGFR1 GCN for predicting FGFR TKI sensitivity assumes increased GCN is the only mechanism for biologically relevant increases in FGFR1 signaling. Herein, we tested whether FGFR1 mRNA and protein expression may serve as better biomarkers of FGFR TKI sensitivity in lung cancer.


METHODS
Histologically diverse lung cancer cell lines were submitted to assays for ponatinib sensitivity, a potent FGFR TKI. A tissue microarray composed of resected lung tumors was submitted to FGFR1 GCN, and mRNA analyses and the results were validated with The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) lung cancer data.


RESULTS
Among 58 cell lines, 14 exhibited ponatinib sensitivity (IC50 values ≤ 50 nmol/L) that correlated with FGFR1 mRNA and protein expression, but not with FGFR1 GCN or histology. Moreover, ponatinib sensitivity associated with mRNA expression of the ligands, FGF2 and FGF9. In resected tumors, 22% of adenocarcinomas and 28% of SCCs expressed high FGFR1 mRNA. Importantly, only 46% of SCCs with increased FGFR1 GCN expressed high mRNA. Lung cancer TCGA data validated these findings and unveiled overlap of FGFR1 mRNA positivity with KRAS and PIK3CA mutations.


CONCLUSIONS
FGFR1 dependency is frequent across various lung cancer histologies, and FGFR1 mRNA may serve as a better biomarker of FGFR TKI response in lung cancer than FGFR1 GCN. The study provides important and timely insight into clinical testing of FGFR TKIs in lung cancer and other solid tumor types.
Authors' Affiliations: Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Craniofacial Biology, and Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland; and Department of Prostate Cancer Research, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Murry W
MW
Wynes
Authors' Affiliations: Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Craniofacial Biology, and Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland; and Department of Prostate Cancer Research, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Trista K
TK
Hinz
Authors' Affiliations: Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Craniofacial Biology, and Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland; and Department of Prostate Cancer Research, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Dexiang
D
Gao
Authors' Affiliations: Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Craniofacial Biology, and Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland; and Department of Prostate Cancer Research, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Michael
M
Martini
Authors' Affiliations: Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Craniofacial Biology, and Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland; and Department of Prostate Cancer Research, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Lindsay A
LA
Marek
Authors' Affiliations: Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Craniofacial Biology, and Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland; and Department of Prostate Cancer Research, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Kathryn E
KE
Ware
Authors' Affiliations: Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Craniofacial Biology, and Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland; and Department of Prostate Cancer Research, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Michael G
MG
Edwards
Authors' Affiliations: Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Craniofacial Biology, and Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland; and Department of Prostate Cancer Research, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Diana
D
Böhm
Authors' Affiliations: Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Craniofacial Biology, and Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland; and Department of Prostate Cancer Research, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Sven
S
Perner
Authors' Affiliations: Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Craniofacial Biology, and Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland; and Department of Prostate Cancer Research, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Barbara A
BA
Helfrich
Authors' Affiliations: Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Craniofacial Biology, and Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland; and Department of Prostate Cancer Research, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Rafal
R
Dziadziuszko
Authors' Affiliations: Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Craniofacial Biology, and Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland; and Department of Prostate Cancer Research, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Jacek
J
Jassem
Authors' Affiliations: Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Craniofacial Biology, and Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland; and Department of Prostate Cancer Research, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Szymon
S
Wojtylak
Authors' Affiliations: Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Craniofacial Biology, and Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland; and Department of Prostate Cancer Research, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Aleksandra
A
Sejda
Authors' Affiliations: Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Craniofacial Biology, and Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland; and Department of Prostate Cancer Research, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Joseph M
JM
Gozgit
Authors' Affiliations: Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Craniofacial Biology, and Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland; and Department of Prostate Cancer Research, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Paul A
PA
Bunn
Authors' Affiliations: Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Craniofacial Biology, and Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland; and Department of Prostate Cancer Research, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
D Ross
DR
Camidge
Authors' Affiliations: Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Craniofacial Biology, and Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland; and Department of Prostate Cancer Research, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
Aik-Choon
AC
Tan
Authors' Affiliations: Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Craniofacial Biology, and Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland; and Department of Prostate Cancer Research, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, GermanyAuthors' Affiliations: Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Craniofacial Biology, and Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland; and Department of Prostate Cancer Research, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany lynn.heasley@ucdenver.edu fred.hirsch@ucdenver.edu.
Fred R
FR
Hirsch
Authors' Affiliations: Departments of Medicine, Pathology, Craniofacial Biology, and Biostatistics and Informatics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, Colorado; ARIAD Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts; Medical University of Gdańsk, Poland; and Department of Prostate Cancer Research, Institute of Pathology, University Hospital of Bonn, Bonn, Germany lynn.heasley@ucdenver.edu fred.hirsch@ucdenver.edu.
Lynn E
LE
Heasley
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D015153:Blotting, Western; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D015331:Cohort Studies; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005784:Gene Amplification; D018628:Gene Dosage; D006801:Humans; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D007124:Immunoenzyme Techniques; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011724:Pyridazines / Q000494:pharmacology; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051496:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1 / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D007093:Imidazoles; D047428:Protein Kinase Inhibitors; D011724:Pyridazines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; C545373:ponatinib; C496348:FGFR1 protein, human; D051496:Receptor, Fibroblast Growth Factor, Type 1