Oxytocin Receptor Regulates the Hippo/YAP Axis to Drive Hepatocarcinogenesis.

ABSTRACT: Dysregulation of Hippo signaling, especially the downstream effector YAP, is a critical driver of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Therefore, identifying therapeutic targets to block Hippo signaling could help improve survival outcomes for patients with HCC. In this study, we conducted an unbiased siRNA screen on G protein-coupled receptors targeted by drugs approved in the United States and strongly associated with the Hippo/YAP pathway and identified the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) as an important activator of the Hippo/YAP axis in HCC. The OXTR was correlated with the Hippo gene signature and poor survival outcomes in HCC, and OXTR activation promoted HCC progression through the Hippo/YAP axis. The OXTR antagonist atosiban blocked the growth of HCC in xenograft, patient-derived explant, org

SUBMITTER: Yang H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12485389 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature