Targeting-YAP/TAZ therapies for head and neck cancer, directly or indirectly?
- Author:
Xiao-Dong FENG
1
Author Information
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords: Hippo; TAZ; YAP; head and neck cancer; targeting therapies
- MeSH: Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/metabolism*; Head and Neck Neoplasms; Humans; Phosphoproteins/metabolism*; Trans-Activators/metabolism*; Transcription Factors
- From: West China Journal of Stomatology 2021;39(5):493-500
- CountryChina
- Language:English
- Abstract: YAP/TAZ are wild over-activated in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with high potential as a direct therapy target for HNSCC treatments. However, the efforts on the directly targeting-YAP/TAZ therapies over the past decade, have very limited impacts, mainly caused by: 1. There is still none effective and specific YAP/TAZ inhibitor with clinical potential; 2. YAP/TAZ might not be directly targeted, because of their multiple important biological functions, such as: regulation of cell proliferation and survival, stem cell maintain, regulation of organ development, organ size control, and tissue regeneration. Interestingly, the over-activation of YAP/TAZ in HNSCC mainly be regulated by upstream abnormal molecular or biological events, instead of genes alteration of YAP/TAZ. Therefore, exploring the alternative molecular events regulating YAP/TAZ activation and molecular mechanism in HNSCC might help to uncover novel indirect targets of YAP/TAZ therapies for HNSCC prevention and treatment.
