N6-methyladenosine-modified GPX2 impacts cancer cell stemness and TKI resistance through regulating of redox metabolism.

Cell Death Dis

NHC Key Laboratory of Glycoconjugate Research, Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200032, China.

Published: June 2025


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Article Abstract

As a predominant oncogenic driver in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), EGFR frequently undergoes amplification or mutation, with EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR-TKIs) like gefitinib and erlotinib constituting frontline therapy for advanced EGFR-mutant cases. However, both primary and acquired resistance significantly limit clinical efficacy. Here, we revealed that glutathione metabolic pathway controlled by glutathione peroxidase GPX2 was abnormally activated in gefitinib-resistant A549 and HCC827-GR cell lines. Mechanistically, GPX2 triggers Hedgehog signaling activation through releasing GLI transcriptional regulator, promoting cancer stem cell (CSC) characteristics and TKI resistance. Notably, N6-methyladenosine (mA) modification on GPX2 mRNA mediated by METTL14 diminished its stability. In vivo, GPX2 deletion constrained glutathione metabolism and boosted the effectiveness of TKI in cell line-derived xenograft models. Collectively, these findings demonstrate that GPX2 serves as a positive regulator of both primary and acquired EGFR-TKI resistance and could be a promising therapeutic target for precise treatment of NSCLC.

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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12177039PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41419-025-07764-0DOI Listing

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