Gene expression in circulating tumor cells reveals a dynamic role of EMT and PD-L1 during osimertinib treatment in NSCLC patients

Sci Rep. 2021 Jan 27;11(1):2313. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-82068-9.

Abstract

Liquid biopsy is a tool to unveil resistance mechanisms in NSCLC. We studied changes in gene expression in CTC-enriched fractions of EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients under osimertinib. Peripheral blood from 30 NSCLC patients before, after 1 cycle of osimertinib and at progression of disease (PD) was analyzed by size-based CTC enrichment combined with RT-qPCR for gene expression of epithelial (CK-8, CK-18, CK-19), mesenchymal/EMT (VIM, TWIST-1, AXL), stem cell (ALDH-1) markers, PD-L1 and PIM-1. CTCs were also analyzed by triple immunofluorescence for 45 identical blood samples. Epithelial and stem cell profile (p = 0.043) and mesenchymal/EMT and stem cell profile (p = 0.014) at PD were correlated. There was a strong positive correlation of VIM expression with PIM-1 expression at baseline and increased PD-L1 expression levels at PD. AXL overexpression varied among patients and high levels of PIM-1 transcripts were detected. PD-L1 expression was significantly increased at PD compared to baseline (p = 0.016). The high prevalence of VIM positive CTCs suggest a dynamic role of EMT during osimertinib treatment, while increased expression of PD-L1 at PD suggests a theoretical background for immunotherapy in EGFR-mutant NSCLC patients that develop resistance to osimertinib. This observation merits to be further evaluated in a prospective immunotherapy trial.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1 Family / genetics
  • Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1 Family / metabolism
  • Axl Receptor Tyrosine Kinase
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / genetics
  • Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / metabolism*
  • DNA, Complementary / genetics
  • DNA, Complementary / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Fluorescent Antibody Technique
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / immunology
  • Neoplastic Cells, Circulating / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / metabolism
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-pim-1 / genetics
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-pim-1 / metabolism*
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / genetics
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / metabolism
  • Twist-Related Protein 1 / genetics
  • Twist-Related Protein 1 / metabolism
  • Vimentin / genetics
  • Vimentin / metabolism

Substances

  • DNA, Complementary
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Twist-Related Protein 1
  • VIM protein, human
  • Vimentin
  • Aldehyde Dehydrogenase 1 Family
  • Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-pim-1
  • Axl Receptor Tyrosine Kinase
  • AXL protein, human