A cell-based high-throughput screen for epidermal growth factor receptor pathway inhibitors

Anal Biochem. 2008 Jun 1;377(1):89-94. doi: 10.1016/j.ab.2008.02.027. Epub 2008 Mar 4.

Abstract

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is a valid drug target for development of target-based therapeutics against non-small-cell lung cancer. In this study, we established a high-throughput cell-based assay to screen for compounds that may inhibit EGFR activation and/or EGFR-mediated downstream signaling pathway. This drug screening platform is based on the characterization of an EGFR-transfected 32D cell line (32D-EGFR). The expression of EGFR in 32D cells allowed cell proliferation in the presence of either epidermal growth factor (EGF) or interleukin 3 (IL-3) and provided a system for both screening and counterscreening of EGFR pathway-inhibitory compounds. After the completion of primary and secondary screenings in which 32D-EGFR cells were grown under the stimulation of either EGF or IL-3, 9 of 20,000 compounds were found to selectively inhibit the EGF-dependent proliferation, but not the IL-3-dependent proliferation, of 32D-EGFR cells. Subsequent analysis showed that 3 compounds of the 9 initial hits directly inhibited the kinase activity of recombinant EGFR in vitro and the phosphorylation of EGFR in H1299 cells transfected with EGFR. Thus, this 32D-EGFR assay system provides a promising approach for identifying novel EGFR and EGFR signaling pathway inhibitors with potential antitumor activity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / methods*
  • Enzyme Activation / drug effects
  • ErbB Receptors / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • ErbB Receptors / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Phosphorylation / drug effects
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / chemistry*
  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors / pharmacology*
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Signal Transduction / drug effects*

Substances

  • Protein Kinase Inhibitors
  • ErbB Receptors