Cancer cell heterogeneity and primary or acquired resistance mechanisms cause the elusive behaviour of this cancer and new biomarkers and active drugs are urgently needed to overcome these limitations. p65BTK, a novel isoform of the Bruton Tyrosine Kinase may represent a new actionable target in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Ibrutinib, a clinically approved irreversible BTK kinase inhibitor for Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL) and Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) etc, has been reported to be potent against EGFR mutant kinase and currently being evaluated in clinic for Non Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC).
Ibrutinib, which irreversibly inhibits Bruton tyrosine kinase, was evaluated for antitumor activity in a panel of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines and found to selectively inhibit growth of NSCLC cells carrying mutations in the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene, including T790M mutant and erlotinib-resistant H1975 cells.