Enhancement of Chemotherapy Efficacy in Cervical Cancer via MAPK Pathway Inhibition by Osimertinib

Abstract

Addressing recurrent cervical cancer poses a substantial challenge. Osimertinib, an FDA-approved EGFR inhibitor, has emerged as a promising option. Our study examined its potential to enhance paclitaxel’s efficacy against cervical cancer. Osimertinib effectively hindered cancer cell growth and induced apoptosis across multiple cell lines. Combined with paclitaxel, it exhibited synergy in suppressing cervical cancer cells. Importantly, osimertinib’s inhibitory effect was EGFR-independent; it targeted Mnk phosphorylation, reducing eIF4E activity. In mice, the combined osimertinib-paclitaxel treatment surpassed individual drugs in inhibiting cancer growth. These preclinical findings suggest osimertinib’s repurposing as a means to improve paclitaxel’s effectiveness in cervical cancer treatment.

Keywords:

• Osimertinib
• MAPK
• cervical cancer
• chemotherapy

Acknowledgement

Not applicable.

Authors’ contribution

YH and CH performed the experiments, interpreted the data and wrote the manuscript. Both revised and approved the final manuscript.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Data availability statement

Data will be made available upon request from corresponding author.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by Jingzhou Central Hospital.