MET signaling drives acquired resistance to erdafitinib in muscle-invasive bladder cancer cells

Muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) is an aggressive malignancy with high recurrence and poor survival, accounting for the majority of bladder cancer-related deaths. A subset of MIBC harbors FGFR1 amplification or overexpression, associated with increased proliferation and poor prognosis. Although the pan-FGFR inhibitor erdafitinib has demonstrated clinical benefit in patients with FGFR3/FGFR2 alterations, primarily in non-MIBC, its efficacy is limited by resistance and toxicity. Moreover, its effectiveness in FGFR1-driven MIBC remains unclear. To address this gap, we investigated erdafitinib response and resistance mechanisms in JMSU1 cells, a model of FGFR1-amplified MIBC. While erdafitinib initially suppressed tumor growth, prolonged treatment led to resistance, characterized by persistent activation of ERK, AKT, and STAT1 signaling pathways. Mechanistic studies identified MET activation, driven by MET gene amplification, as a key driver of resistance. Notably, exogenous hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) not only induced resistance but also accelerated the emergence of MET-amplified, HGF-independent subpopulations under drug pressure. We also identified SHP2 as a critical mediator of FGFR1-driven ERK activation in parental cells. In resistant cells, MET activation enhanced SHP2-ERK signaling through the adaptor protein GAB1, reinforcing the resistant phenotype. Combined inhibition of FGFR1 and MET significantly suppressed tumor growth in resistant cells. These findings establish MET amplification and GAB1-SHP2 signaling as central mediators of erdafitinib resistance in FGFR1-amplified MIBC and support dual FGFR1/MET targeting as a promising therapeutic strategy.