Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research (May 2023)

New insights into the ambivalent role of YAP/TAZ in human cancers

  • Juan Luo,
  • Liang Deng,
  • Hailin Zou,
  • Yibo Guo,
  • Tongyu Tong,
  • Mingli Huang,
  • Gengqiang Ling,
  • Peng Li

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13046-023-02704-2
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 42, no. 1
pp. 1 – 22

Abstract

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Abstract Hippo signaling was first identified in Drosophila as a key controller of organ size by regulating cell proliferation and anti-apoptosis. Subsequent studies have shown that this pathway is highly conserved in mammals, and its dysregulation is implicated in multiple events of cancer development and progression. Yes-associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional coactivator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ) (hereafter YAP/TAZ) are the downstream effectors of the Hippo pathway. YAP/TAZ overexpression or activation is sufficient to induce tumor initiation and progression, as well as recurrence and therapeutic resistance. However, there is growing evidence that YAP/TAZ also exert a tumor-suppressive function in a context-dependent manner. Therefore, caution should be taken when targeting Hippo signaling in clinical trials in the future. In this review article, we will first give an overview of YAP/TAZ and their oncogenic roles in various cancers and then systematically summarize the tumor-suppressive functions of YAP/TAZ in different contexts. Based on these findings, we will further discuss the clinical implications of YAP/TAZ-based tumor targeted therapy and potential future directions. Graphical Abstract

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