EGFR-Mediated Reactivation of MAPK Signaling Contributes to Insensitivity of BRAF -Mutant Colorectal Cancers to RAF Inhibition with Vemurafenib

Abstract BRAF mutations occur in 10% to 15% of colorectal cancers and confer adverse outcome in the metastatic setting. Although RAF inhibitors such as vemurafenib (PLX4032) have proven effective in the treatment of BRAF-mutant melanoma, they are surprisingly ineffective in BRAF-mutant colorectal cancers, and the reason for this disparity remains unclear. Compared with BRAF-mutant melanoma cells, BRAF-mutant colorectal cancer cells were less sensitive to vemurafenib, and phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase (P-ERK) suppression was not sustained in response to treatment. Although transient inhibition of P-ERK by vemurafenib was observed in colorectal cancer, rapid ERK reactivation occurred through…