Yan Zheng
Title: Yes-associated protein contributes to the development of human cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma via activation of RAS
Biography
Biography: Yan Zheng
Abstract
Cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma (cSCC) is one of the most common skin malignant tumors with an increasing incidence. Studies have shown that Yes-associated protein (YAP) participates in the development of a variety of tumors as an oncogene, but its role in cSCC has not been reported. In this study, we showed by immunohistochemistry that YAP expression was elevated in cSCC samples of different stages versus the normal skin and was well correlated with the progression of the disease. Down-regulation of YAP in cSCC cell lines A431 and SCL-1 inhibited cell proliferation by inducing a G1/S growth arrest, promoted apoptosis and reduced invasion and migration abilities in vitro. Conversely, overexpression of YAP promoted cell proliferation and protected cells against basal and chemodrug-induced apoptosis. These oncogenic effects of YAP were associated with activation of RAS protein and its downstream AKT and ERK signaling. Using a mouse xenograft model, we further demonstrated that YAP depletion inhibited cSCC tumor growth in vivo. Our results suggested that YAP is involved in the carcinogenesis and development of cSCC and may serve as a biomarker or therapeutic target of this disease.