MicroRNA-34a overcomes HGF-mediated gefitinib resistance in EGFR mutant lung cancer cells partly by targeting MET

•miR-34a rescues HGF-induced gefitinib resistance in EGFR mutant NSCLC cells in vitro and in vivo.•miR-34a overcomes HGF-mediated gefitinib resistance partly by targeting MET.•miR-34a inhibits the downstream pathways of MET in HGF-mediated gefitinib-resistant NSCLC cells.

In non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that harbours an activating epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation, over-expression of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is an important mechanism involved in the acquired resistance to EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) by restoring activity of the PI3K/Akt pathway via phosphorylation of MET. In our study, we found that the forced expression of miR-34a inhibited cell growth and induced apoptosis partly by targeting MET in HGF-induced gefitinib-resistant HCC827 and PC-9 cells. Furthermore, dramatic tumour regression was observed in the miR-34a plus gefitinib group in HGF-induced gefitinib resistant mouse xenograft models. This study demonstrates for the first time that miR-34a rescues HGF-induced gefitinib resistance in EGFR mutant NSCLC cells.