Abstract: Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of MENA and MENA isoforms regulates the metastatic activity of cancer cells. Administration of a MENA kinase inhibitor results in significant reduction in the development of cancer metastasis in established and developing tumors. Administration of a MENA kinase inhibitor in conjunction with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor enhances efficacy of tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapy. Administration of a MENA kinase inhibitor in conjunction with anti-microtubule agent results in significant reduction in chemotherapy-induced tumor cell dissemination and enhances efficacy of anti-microtubule therapy.

Abstract: The invention comprises methods and compositions useful for treatment and detection of cancers expressing variant forms of epidermal growth factor receptor EGFR.

Abstract: A panel of 12 EGFR inhibitors were screened for inhibition of EGFR phosphorylation in U87MG tumor cells engineered to express EGFR-viii. Compounds elicited a range of activity against phosphoY1173-EGFR. While one group of inhibitors had relatively weak activity against EGFR-viii (WZ4002, WZ8040, WZ3146, CO-1686, and AZD9291) another group had relatively potent activity against EGFR-viii (pelitinib, canertinib, PD168393, neratinib, AST-1306, and dacomitininb). The data described herein provide new methods of use for pelitinib, canertinib, AST-1306, and PD168393 against cancer, such as GBM, that express EGFR-viii. Furthermore, neratinib also exhibited selectivity towards splice variants EGFR-vii and EGFR-vvi compared to wild-type EGFR.