Multiple roles and context-specific mechanisms underlying YAP and TAZ-mediated resistance to anti-cancer therapy

Abstract

Understanding the molecular mechanisms driving resistance to anti-cancer drugs is both a crucial step to define markers of response to therapy and a clinical need in many cancer settings. YAP and TAZ transcriptional cofactors behave as oncogenes in different cancer types. Deregulation of YAP/TAZ expression or alterations in components of the multiple signaling pathways converging on these factors are important mechanisms of resistance to chemotherapy, target therapy and hormone therapy. Moreover, response to immunotherapy may also be affected by YAP/TAZ activities in both tumor and microenvironment cells. For these reasons, various compounds inhibiting YAP/TAZ function by different direct and indirect mechanisms have been proposed as a mean to counter-act drug resistance in cancer. A particularly promising approach may be to simultaneously target both YAP/TAZ expression and their transcriptional activity through BET inhibitors.

Keywords: Cancer therapy; Drug resistance; Hippo; TAZ; YAP.