Transcriptional co-activators YAP/TAZ: Potential therapeutic targets for metastatic breast cancer

Biomed Pharmacother. 2021 Jan:133:110956. doi: 10.1016/j.biopha.2020.110956. Epub 2020 Nov 11.

Abstract

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer among women. Although routine and targeted therapies have improved the survival rate, there are still considerable challenges in the treatment of breast cancer. Metastasis is the leading cause of death in patients diagnosed with breast cancer. Yes-associated protein (YAP) and/or PDZ binding motif (TAZ) are usually abnormally activated in breast cancer leading to a variety of effects on tumour promotion, such as epithelial-mesenchymal transition, cancer stem cell production and drug-resistance. The abnormal activation of YAP/TAZ can affect metastasis-related processes and promote cancer progression and metastasis by interacting with some metastasis-related factors and pathways. In this article, we summarise the evidence that YAP/TAZ regulates breast cancer metastasis, its post-translational modification mechanisms, and the latest advances in the treatment of YAP/TAZ-related breast cancer metastasis, besides providing a new strategy of YAP/TAZ-based treatment of human breast cancer.

Keywords: Hippo pathway; Metastatic breast cancer; Post-translational modification; Targeted therapy; YAP/TAZ.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Breast Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Molecular Targeted Therapy
  • Neoplasm Metastasis
  • Protein Domains
  • Protein Processing, Post-Translational / drug effects*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-yes / chemistry
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-yes / metabolism*
  • Signal Transduction
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Trans-Activators / chemistry
  • Trans-Activators / metabolism*
  • Transcriptional Coactivator with PDZ-Binding Motif Proteins

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Trans-Activators
  • Transcriptional Coactivator with PDZ-Binding Motif Proteins
  • WWTR1 protein, human
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-yes
  • YES1 protein, human