Transforming Growth Factor β-Induced Epithelial-to-Mesenchymal Signature Predicts Metastasis-Free Survival in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

14 human Non-Small Cell Lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines were treated with Transforming Growth Factor beta-1 (TGFβ-1) to induce epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Microarrays measured gene expression at baseline and at different times after treatment. NSCLC cells lines (NCI- H23, H292, H322, H358, H441, H522, H1395, H1437, H1648, H1944, H2122, H2347, CALU-6, and A549) were used in the study. Cell lines were characterized in terms of their response to TGFβ-1, via measurements of: growth, morphology, migration, SMAD phosphorylation, transcriptional activity, and expression of cadherin 1 and SNAIL. Gene expression changes in NSCLC cells after TGFβ treatment were determined using Affymetrix U133 Plus 2.0 microarrays.