Hepatocytes Induce Change In Their Neighbors By Yap-Ing At Them

Inhibition of the Hippo pathway in mice, typically by genetic deletion of one or more components, is associated with hepatomegaly and eventually development of hepatocellular carcinoma. This process is marked by increased activity of the transcriptional co-activators YAP and TAZ, which are negatively regulated by the Hippo pathway. Hippo/YAP signaling has been a focus of research into mechanisms of hepatocarcinogenesis and responses to HCC-directed therapy however the majority of studies have focused on cell intrinsic signaling pathways and Hippo dysregulation (leading to YAP activation)..