Angiogenin/Ribonuclease 5 Is an EGFR Ligand and a Serum Biomarker for Erlotinib Sensitivity in Pancreatic Cancer

Publication date: Available online 29 March 2018
Source:Cancer Cell
Author(s): Ying-Nai Wang, Heng-Huan Lee, Chao-Kai Chou, Wen-Hao Yang, Yongkun Wei, Chun-Te Chen, Jun Yao, Jennifer L. Hsu, Cihui Zhu, Haoqiang Ying, Yuanqing Ye, Wei-Jan Wang, Seung-Oe Lim, Weiya Xia, How-Wen Ko, Xiuping Liu, Chang-Gong Liu, Xifeng Wu, Huamin Wang, Donghui Li, Laura R. Prakash, Matthew H. Katz, Yaan Kang, Michael Kim, Jason B. Fleming, David Fogelman, Milind Javle, Anirban Maitra, Mien-Chie Hung
Pancreatic ribonuclease (RNase) is a secreted enzyme critical for host defense. We discover an intrinsic RNase function, serving as a ligand for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), a member of receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK), in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). The closely related bovine RNase A and human RNase 5 (angiogenin [ANG]) can trigger oncogenic transformation independently of their catalytic activities via direct association with EGFR. Notably, high plasma ANG level in PDAC patients is positively associated with response to EGFR inhibitor erlotinib treatment. These results identify a role of ANG as a serum biomarker that may be used to stratify patients for EGFR-targeted therapies, and offer insights into the ligand-receptor relationship between RNase and RTK families.

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Teaser

Wang et al. identify angiogenin (ANG) as a ligand for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). ANG-mediated EGFR activation can trigger oncogenic transformation, and high ANG in the plasma of pancreatic adenocarcinoma patients positively correlates with response to the EGFR inhibitor erlotinib.


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