Researchers have discovered that some cancer cells express the YAP1 protein only after treatment with chemotherapy, allowing them to survive by becoming more invasive and leading to treatment resistance with eventual relapse in patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC).
The study, led by Carl Gay, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor of Thoracic/Head and Neck Medical Oncology, suggests that targeting cells with YAP1 may be a possible strategy to help overcome treatment resistance.
“These findings highlight YAP1-expressing cells as biomarkers of chemotherapy resistance in small cell lung cancer,” Gay said. “This brings us another step closer to understanding the mechanisms behind why patients continue to relapse so that we can better adapt our diagnostic and therapeutic strategies to improve patient outcomes.”