Highlight
– Aberrant activation of the Hippo/YAP signaling pathway is critical in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) development.
– The oxytocin receptor (OXTR), a G protein-coupled receptor, activates Hippo/YAP signaling via Gq/11 and fosters a positive feedback loop facilitating liver cancer progression.
– Atosiban, an OXTR antagonist and established tocolytic agent, effectively disrupts this positive feedback, suppressing tumor growth in multiple preclinical HCC models.
– This discovery opens an avenue to repurpose Atosiban and highlights OXTR as a promising therapeutic target in HCC, addressing an unmet clinical need for effective treatment strategies.
