Research Group of Cancer Pharmacology Discovers a Shared Weak Spot in Drug-Resistant Lung Cancer

Scientists from the Research Group of Cancer Pharmacology (Charles University, Faculty of Pharmacy), in collaboration with experts from Karolinska Institutet (Sweden) and Biomedical Research Centre (Czechia), have achieved a significant milestone. Their latest experimental study has been published in the prestigious journal Cell Communication and Signaling (IF 8.9; AIS 2.031).

Modern targeted drugs can effectively treat many patients with non-small cell lung cancer by blocking a protein called EGFR, which helps cancer cells grow. Unfortunately, tumors often learn how to survive despite treatment, causing the disease to return.

The research team discovered that cancer cells resistant to EGFR-targeted drugs rely on changes in their communication with surrounding environment, known as the extracellular matrix – a protein-rich network that surrounds and supports cells within tissues. Remarkably, this mechanism was found in cancer cells resistant to all currently used generations of EGFR-targeted therapies.

The findings suggest that the communication with extracellular matrix may represent a common “Achilles’ heel” of drug-resistant lung cancer. While cancer cells can develop different ways to evade EGFR-targeting treatment, they appear to share a strong dependence on interactions with their surroundings that help them survive and spread.

This discovery opens the possibility of developing new combination treatments that target both EGFR and this shared resistance mechanism. Such an approach could potentially overcome resistance to multiple EGFR-targeted drugs at once and help patients benefit from treatment for a longer period of time.

Text: Research Group of Cancer Pharmacology, Faculty of Pharmacy CU
Photo & graphic: RNDr. Miloslav Macháček, Ph.D.