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Atorvastatin exhibits anticancer effects by inhibiting YAP/TAZ activity in mesenchymal-like non-small cell lung

Takuro Ishikawa1,2, Tomohito Okubo2, Natsuki Matsushita3

  • 1Department of Veterinary Anatomy, School of Veterinary Medicine, Tottori University, 4-101 Koyama Minami, Tottori, Tottori, 680-8553, Japan.

Scientific Reports
|August 18, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Statins inhibit mesenchymal-like non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells by blocking YAP/TAZ nuclear localization, but not epithelial-like cells. This differential effect explains varying statin sensitivity in NSCLC.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer.
  • Statins exhibit preferential inhibition of mesenchymal-like cancer cells over epithelial-like cells.
  • The mechanisms behind statin's differential sensitivity in cancer cells are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanisms of statin sensitivity in mesenchymal NSCLC cells.
  • To explore the effects of atorvastatin on YAP/TAZ activity in NSCLC cell lines with varying epithelial-mesenchymal phenotypes.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized NSCLC cell lines with distinct epithelial-mesenchymal phenotypes.
  • Administered atorvastatin and assessed its impact on cell proliferation, migration, and invasion.
  • Analyzed YAP/TAZ nuclear localization and downstream gene expression.
  • Employed small interfering (si) RNA to inhibit YAP and TAZ.

Main Results:

  • Atorvastatin significantly reduced proliferation, migration, and invasion in mesenchymal-like NSCLC cells, with minimal impact on epithelial-like cells.
  • Atorvastatin inhibited YAP/TAZ nuclear localization and gene expression in mesenchymal cells but not epithelial cells.
  • YAP/TAZ inhibition via siRNA reduced proliferation in all tested NSCLC cell lines, irrespective of phenotype.

Conclusions:

  • Statin sensitivity in NSCLC is linked to the epithelial-mesenchymal phenotype.
  • Differential inhibition of YAP/TAZ nuclear localization by statins contributes to varying sensitivity between mesenchymal and epithelial NSCLC cells.
Keywords:
Mesenchymal cancer cellsNon-small cell lung cancerStatinsTAZYAP

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