Blocking TAZ and YAP signals in bone and soft tissue sarcoma
Upstream regulation of TAZ and YAP in sarcomas: Towards combinatorial therapytargeting the Hippo pathway
Looking at whether blocking the signals that turn on the proteins TAZ and YAP could lead to new treatments for people with bone and soft tissue sarcomas.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Iowa City VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Iowa City, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11131027 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will study tumor samples and laboratory models from sarcoma patients to understand how the Hippo pathway proteins TAZ and YAP become activated. They will test whether loss of Hippo kinases driven by histone deacetylation together with PI3 kinase signaling turns on TAZ/YAP. The team will use patient tumor samples, sarcoma cell lines, and pharmacologic approaches such as HDAC inhibitors to see if reactivating the Hippo kinases can shut down TAZ/YAP. Findings could guide combinations of targeted drugs to try in future clinical trials for sarcoma patients.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with bone or soft-tissue sarcomas, especially those willing to provide tumor samples or participate in future trials, would be the most relevant candidates.
Not a fit: Patients with cancers other than sarcoma or whose tumors are driven by different molecular mechanisms may not benefit from these specific findings.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new targeted drug combinations that slow tumor growth and improve survival for people with sarcoma.
How similar studies have performed: Preclinical studies have shown that HDAC inhibitors can restore Hippo kinase expression and reduce TAZ/YAP activity, but clinical benefit from this approach is not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
Iowa City, United States
- Iowa City VA Medical Center — Iowa City, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tanas, Munir — Iowa City VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Tanas, Munir
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.