Lung cancers with activating mutations in EGFR can be treated with EGFR inhibitors, but not all tumours respond and some develop resistance. In an RNAi screen, this study searches for modifiers of the EGFR inhibitor response. It is found that inhibition of FAS and NF-κB signalling enhances the response in vitro and in vivo. In a cohort of lung cancer patients treated with EGFR inhibitors, expression of the NF-κB inhibitor IκB is associated with a better response and longer survival, indicating that combining NF-κB pathway and EGFR inhibitors may prove clinically useful.
- Trever G. Bivona
- Haley Hieronymus
- Charles L. Sawyers
