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. 2025 Aug;182(16):3903-3922.
doi: 10.1111/bph.70052. Epub 2025 May 5.

Unlocking the power of immune checkpoint inhibitors: Targeting YAP1 reduces anti-PD1 resistance in skin cutaneous melanoma

Szonja Anna Kovács  1   2   3 , Tamás Kovács  4   5   6   7 , András Lánczky  8 , Ágnes Paál  4   5   6   7 , Zsombor I Hegedűs  4   5   6   7 , Nabil V Sayour  4   5   6   7 , Lilla Szabó  4   5   6   7 , Andrea Kovács  4   5   6   7 , Giampaolo Bianchini  9 , Péter Ferdinandy  4   10 , Alberto Ocana  11   12   13 , Zoltán V Varga  4   5   6   7 , János Tibor Fekete  1   2 , Balázs Győrffy  14
Affiliations

Unlocking the power of immune checkpoint inhibitors: Targeting YAP1 reduces anti-PD1 resistance in skin cutaneous melanoma

Szonja Anna Kovács et al. Br J Pharmacol. 2025 Aug.

Abstract

Background and purpose: Immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as anti-PD1, revolutionized melanoma treatment. However, resistance and low response rates remain problems. Our goal was to pinpoint actionable biomarkers of resistance to anti-PD1 treatment and verify therapeutic effectiveness in vivo.

Experimental approach: Using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) and survival analysis in a database of 1434 samples, we identified the strongest resistance-associated genes. Inhibitors were evaluated in C57BL/6J mice using wild-type B16-F10, and BRAF, -PTEN, -CDKN2A-mutant YUMM1.7 melanoma cell lines. We investigated the synergistic impact of anti-PD1 therapy and yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1) inhibition by non-photoactivated Verteporfin. Tumour volume was determined at fixed cutoff points, normalized to body weights.

Key results: In the anti-PD1-treated melanoma cohort, YAP1 was the strongest druggable candidate overexpressed in non-responder patients (ROC AUC = 0.699, FC = 1.8, P=1.1E-8). The baseline YAP1 expression correlated with worse progression-free survival (HR = 2.51, P=1.2E-6, FDR = 1%), and overall survival (HR = 2.15, P = 1.2E-5, FDR = 1%). In YUMM1.7, combination of Verteporfin plus anti-PD1 reduced tumour size more than anti-PD1 monotherapy (P=0.008), or control (P=0.021). There was no difference between the cohorts in B16-F10 inoculated mice. We found increased expression of YAP1 in YUMM1.7 mice compared to B16-F10. The combination therapy induced a more-immune-inflamed phenotype characterized by increased expression of T cell and M1 macrophage markers.

Conclusions and implications: Verteporfin with anti-PD1 exhibited antitumor potential by promoting a pro-inflammatory tumour microenvironment in melanoma. We believe that YAP1 acts as a master regulator of anti-PD1 resistance.

Keywords: Verteporfin; YAP1; anti‐PD1; cancer immunotherapy; combination therapy; immune checkpoint inhibitor; melanoma; skin cancer.

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References

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