The regulatory role of APE1 in epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition and in determining EGFR‐TKI responsiveness in non‐small‐cell lung cancer

Background Epithelial‐to‐mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a pivotal role in resistance to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) in non‐small‐cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Our previous study revealed that in osteosarcoma, human apurinic/apyrimidinic endonuclease 1 (APE1) regulates transforming growth factor‐β (TGF‐β), an important player in EMT. We therefore hypothesized a link between APE1 and EGFR‐TKI responsiveness in NSCLC.