Dasatinib (BMS-354825) selectively induces apoptosis in lung cancer cells dependent on epidermal growth factor receptor signaling for survival

Mutations of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) selectively activate Akt and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) pathways that are important in lung cancer cell survival. Src family kinases can cooperate with receptor tyrosine kinases to signal through downstream molecules, such as phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/PTEN/Akt and STATs. Based on the importance of EGFR signaling in lung cancer, the known cooperation between EGFR and Src proteins, and evidence of elevated Src activity in human lung cancers, we evaluated the effectiveness of a novel orally bioavailable Src inhibitor dasatinib (BMS-324825) in lung cancer cell lines with defined EGFR status. Here, we show that cell fate (death versus growth arrest) in lung cancer cells exposed to dasatinib is dependent on EGFR status. In cells with EGFR mutation that are dependent on EGFR for survival, dasatinib reduces cell viability through the induction of apoptosis while having minimal apoptotic effect on cell lines with wild-type (WT) EGFR. The induction of apoptosis in these EGFR-mutant cell lines corresponds to down-regulation of activated Akt and STAT3 survival proteins. In cell lines with WT or resistant EGFR mutation that are not sensitive to EGFR inhibition, dasatinib induces a G(1) cell cycle arrest with associated changes in cyclin D and p27 proteins, inhibits activated FAK, and prevents tumor cell invasion. Our results show that dasatinib could be effective therapy for patients with lung cancers through disruption of cell growth, survival, and tumor invasion. Our results suggest EGFR status is important in deciding cell fate in response to dasatinib.