Data from YAP1 Dysfunction Promotes Molecular Properties Linked to Breast Cancer Susceptibility

作者：Tara Fresques, Jennifer C. Lopez, Deborah Hussey, Masaru Miyano, James C. Garbe, Stefan Hinz, Rosalyn W. Sayaman, Aimin Li, Daniel Schmolze, Serenity Van Bedford, Martha R. Stampfer, Mark A. LaBarge · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.1158/1940-6207.c.8395736 · 研究领域：Hippo pathway signaling and YAP/TAZ、Cancer Cells and Metastasis、Telomeres, Telomerase, and Senescence

<div>Abstract<p>YAP1 is a cotranscription factor that promotes malignant and stem cell properties in cancer. We previously found that YAP1 dysregulation is associated with aging in human mammary epithelia. With increased age, YAP1 expression changes in luminal epithelial cells, the prospective breast cancer cell of origin. Because age is a significant risk factor for breast cancer, we tested whether YAP1 dysregulation acted early in cancer progression by conferring cellular states associated with increased cancer susceptibility. In this study, we find that with increased age and genetic risk for developing cancer, human breast tissues showed significantly increased YAP1 expression, and cultured primary human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) showed significantly increased expression of both YAP1 and its transcriptional targets. Increased YAP1 expression in cultured HMEC induced gene expression changes associated with increased cancer susceptibility, such as genes associated with stem cell states, increased telomerase activity, breast cancer progression, and increased age and genetic breast cancer risk. Furthermore, overexpression of YAP1 in post-stasis HMEC—finite lifespan cells that have bypassed a retinoblastoma-mediated senescence barrier—promoted properties related to increased growth potential. We found that YAP1 dysregulation in finite epithelial cells allows for access to gene programs and functions that are typically thought to be restricted to stem cells. W...