YAP as a therapeutic target in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: insights and strategies.

Background: Yes-associated protein (YAP) is a core component of the Hippo pathway, which functions as an oncogene in various cancers. However, emerging evidence has shown that YAP can also act as a tumor suppressor. Therefore, understanding the function and molecular mechanism of YAP is crucial for developing YAP-targeted drugs in tumors.

Methods: A comprehensive literature review was conducted. The review mainly includes the post-translational modification, the regulatory mechanisms and function of YAP in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC).

Results: YAP undergoes various post-translational modifications (PTMs), including phosphorylation, ubiquitination, acetylation and others, which critically regulate its protein stability and transcriptional activity in multiple tumors, particularly ESCC. YAP is highly expressed in ESCC tissues, with its aberrant activation closely correlated with poor prognosis in patients. Additionally, YAP is involved in the progression of ESCC, including tumor migration, invasion, proliferation, cell stemness, apoptosis, therapeutic resistance, and immunity. In ESCC, YAP has been confirmed to be regulated by multiple upstream regulators, such as E3 ubiquitin ligases and kinases, thereby influencing the ESCC progression. However, there are still few drugs available clinically for YAP-targeted therapy, which requires further research. In this review, we systematically synthesize the biological roles and regulatory mechanisms of YAP in ESCC and outline potential research directions for YAP-targeted therapies, aiming to provide novel insights for precision medicine in ESCC.

Conclusion: YAP is closely correlated to ESCC progression, and it could be a promising target for ESCC treatment.