The hippo pathway: Immunity and cancer

Abstract

Since its discovery, the Hippo pathway has emerged as a central signaling network in mammalian cells. Canonical signaling through the Hippo pathway core components (MST1/2, LATS1/2, YAP and TAZ) is important for development and tissue homeostasis while aberrant signaling through the Hippo pathway has been implicated in multiple pathologies, including cancer. Recent studies have uncovered new roles for the Hippo pathway in immunology. In this review, we summarize the mechanisms by which Hippo signaling in pathogen-infected or neoplastic cells affects the activities of immune cells that respond to these threats. We further discuss how Hippo signaling functions as part of an immune response. Finally, we review how immune cell-intrinsic Hippo signaling modulates the development/function of leukocytes and propose directions for future work.