YAP/Hippo Pathway and Cancer Immunity: It Takes Two to Tango

Dimitrios Matthaios; Maria Tolia; Davide Mauri; Konstantinos Kamposioras; Michalis Karamouzis

doi:10.3390/biomedicines9121949

YAP/Hippo Pathway and Cancer Immunity: It Takes Two to Tango

Biomedicines. 2021 Dec 20;9(12):1949. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines9121949.

Authors

Dimitrios Matthaios¹, Maria Tolia², Davide Mauri³, Konstantinos Kamposioras⁴, Michalis Karamouzis⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Oncology, Rhodes General Hospital, 85100 Rhodes, Greece.
² Department of Radiotherapy, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71500 Heraklion, Greece.
³ Department of Medical Oncology, University of Ιoannina, 45110 Ιoannina, Greece.
⁴ Department of Medical Oncology, The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester M20 4BX, UK.
⁵ Molecular Oncology Unit, Department of Biological Chemistry, Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece.

Abstract

Hippo pathway with its main molecule YAP is a crucial pathway for development, tissue homeostasis, wound healing, tissue regeneration, and cancer. In this review, we discuss the multiple effects of the YAP/Hippo pathway in the immune system and cancer. We analyzed a series of effects: extracellular vesicles enhanced immunity through inhibition of LATS1/2, ways of modulation of the tumor microenvironment, YAP- and TAZ-mediated upregulation of PDL1, high expression of YAP and PDL1 in EGFR-TKI-resistant cells, enhanced YAP activity in inflammation, and the effect of the Hippo pathway on T cells, B cells, Tregs, macrophages, and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs). These pleiotropic effects render the YAP and Hippo pathway a key pathway for exploitation in the future, in order to enhance our immunotherapy treatment strategies in oncology.

Keywords: Hippo pathway; LATS1/2; TAZ; YAP; cancer; immunity; immunotherapy.

Publication types

Review