Figure 3. EGFR CTED mutant induced tumorigenesis is suppressed by either erlotinib, afatinib, or cetuximab.

(A) The images are representative of tumor resection from xenografted mice injected with NIH-3T3 cells expressing CTED5, CTED8, or CTED4 following approximately 5 weeks of EGFR inhibitors or PBS treatment. (B) The growth of mouse tumors driven by CTED5, CTED8, and CTED4 mutants was significantly suppressed by erlotinib, afatinib, or cetuximab. Fourteen days after cell injection, when tumors reached 50 to 70 mm³ in size, erlotinib, afatinib (50mg/kg, gavage), or cetuximab (50mg/kg, IP) was administered 3 times per week for 5 weeks. Tumor size was measured 3 times per week, and the volume was determined according to the formula V=ab²/2, where a and b were tumor length and width, respectively (n=12 for each treatment group, mean ± SD). IP, intraperitoneal. (C) Lysates prepared from the untreated or cetuximab, erlotinib, afatinib, or dacomitinib treated xenograft tumors were subjected to immunoblotting with total or phospho-specific antibodies against Akt, and Stat3.