Targeting-YAP/TAZ therapies for head and neck cancer, directly or indirectly? / 华西口腔医学杂志

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.