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MET alterations are enriched in lung adenocarcinoma brain metastases, defining a distinct biologic subtype
Timothy F. Burns, Sanja Dacic, Anish Chakka, Ethan Miller, Maria A. Velez, Ashwin Somasundaram, Saveri Bhattacharya, Autumn Gaither-Davis, Princey Devadassan, Jingxiao Jin, Vinod Kumar, Arjun Pennathur, Joanne Xiu, Matthew Oberley, Michael J. Glantz, Sonikpreet Aulakh, Uma R. Chandran, Riyue Bao, Curtis Tatsuoka, Laura P. Stabile
Timothy F. Burns, Sanja Dacic, Anish Chakka, Ethan Miller, Maria A. Velez, Ashwin Somasundaram, Saveri Bhattacharya, Autumn Gaither-Davis, Princey Devadassan, Jingxiao Jin, Vinod Kumar, Arjun Pennathur, Joanne Xiu, Matthew Oberley, Michael J. Glantz, Sonikpreet Aulakh, Uma R. Chandran, Riyue Bao, Curtis Tatsuoka, Laura P. Stabile
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Research Article Genetics Oncology

MET alterations are enriched in lung adenocarcinoma brain metastases, defining a distinct biologic subtype

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Abstract

Non–small cell lung cancer exhibits the highest rates of brain metastases (BMs) among all solid tumors, presenting a major clinical challenge. The development of novel therapeutic strategies targeting BMs is clearly needed. We identified a significant enrichment of MET amplification in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) BMs compared with primary LUAD and extracranial metastases in oncogene driver–negative patients. Of note, MET-amplified BMs were responsive to MET inhibitors in vivo, including models with acquired MET amplification at the time of metastasis. MET alterations (amplifications and/or mutations) were also more frequently detected in circulating tumor DNA from patients with LUAD BMs than in those without BMs. MET-altered BMs also demonstrated unique genomic features compared with non–MET-altered BMs. Transcriptomic analyses revealed that in contrast to MET WT BMs, MET-amplified BMs exhibited a more inflamed tumor microenvironment and displayed evidence of metabolic adaptation, particularly a reliance on glycolysis in contrast to OXPHOS in MET WT BMs. Furthermore, MET-amplified BMs demonstrated evidence of epithelial-mesenchymal transition signaling, including increased expression of TWIST1. Patients with MET-amplified BMs had significantly shorter overall survival. These findings highlight MET amplification as a critical driver of LUAD BMs, emphasizing its potential as a therapeutic target.

Authors

Timothy F. Burns, Sanja Dacic, Anish Chakka, Ethan Miller, Maria A. Velez, Ashwin Somasundaram, Saveri Bhattacharya, Autumn Gaither-Davis, Princey Devadassan, Jingxiao Jin, Vinod Kumar, Arjun Pennathur, Joanne Xiu, Matthew Oberley, Michael J. Glantz, Sonikpreet Aulakh, Uma R. Chandran, Riyue Bao, Curtis Tatsuoka, Laura P. Stabile

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