Aidi injection inhibits the migration and invasion of gefitinib-resistant lung adenocarcinoma cells by regulating the PLAT/FAK/AKT pathway

Background: With extended gefitinib treatment, the therapeutic effect in some non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients declined with the development of drug resistance. Aidi injection (ADI) is utilized in various cancers as a traditional Chinese medicine prescription. This study explores the molecular mechanism by which ADI, when combined with gefitinib, attenuates gefitinib resistance in PC9GR NSCLC cells.

Methods: In vitro and in vivo pharmacological experiments were conducted in PC9GR cells and NSG mice with PC9GR cell-derived tumors, respectively. The molecular mechanism of ADI was further studied using whole-transcriptome sequencing technology. Bioinformatics and molecular biology methods were employed to validate the critical targets of ADI.

Results: Firstly, ADI treatment alone and combined with gefitinib significantly inhibited the proliferation, migration, and invasion of PC9GR cells. Then, whole-transcriptome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis revealed that PLAT is a key target for the increased efficacy of ADI combined with gefitinib. Additionally, ADI downregulates the expression of PLAT, TNC, ITGB3, p-AKT, p-PI3K, and p-FAK. ADI inhibits the migration and invasion of PC9GR cells by regulating the PLAT/FAK/AKT pathway.

Conclusions: Aidi injection inhibits the migration and invasion of gefitinib-resistant lung adenocarcinoma cells by regulating the PLAT/FAK/AKT pathway. This study provides essential evidence for elucidating the mechanism of ADI in synergistic therapy for lung cancer.