The Hippo pathway in intestinal regeneration and disease

The Hippo pathway plays an important part in intestinal homeostasis and regeneration in both Drosophila melanogaster and mammals, and its dysregulation often leads to uncontrolled tissue growthIn general, YAP1 and TAZ activity promotes intestinal stem cell properties, and overexpression of YAP1 induces stem cell expansionYAP1 and TAZ are crucial for intestinal tissue regeneration after injury; YAP1 depletion leads to disturbed tissue formation during regenerationCrosstalk between the Hippo pathway and other signalling pathways, such as Wnt and Notch, regulates intestinal tissue homeostasis and regeneration, although detailed mechanisms have not yet been elucidatedDysregulation of the Hippo pathway leads to tumorigenesis; YAP1 and TAZ are oncogenic in colorectal cancers, as illustrated by data from mouse models and patient specimensThe Hippo pathway also has an important role in liver damage repair and tumorigenesis, and dysregulation of the Hippo pathway leads to uncontrolled growth in the liver