ORCID ID
Graduation Date
Spring 5-10-2025
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Programs
Cancer Research
First Advisor
Dr. Jixin Dong
Abstract
Ovarian cancer is the most common and deadliest gynecologic malignancy. Approximately 40% of ovarian cancer patients exhibit chemoresistance after receiving initial treatment in the form of neoadjuvant chemotherapy or interval debulking surgery, of which YAP1 (Yes-associated protein 1) has been implicated in enhancing the resistance of ovarian cancer to Cisplatin and Taxol.1,2. This highlights the need to develop new therapeutic strategies that target the Hippo pathway to overcome resistance to traditional therapies.
YAP1 is a protein that acts as a transcription coregulator, promoting the transcription of genes involved in cellular proliferation and suppressing apoptotic genes. It is a critical effector of the Hippo signaling pathway, and its activity is driven by its association with the transcriptional enhancer-associated domain (TEAD) family of transcription factors. A novel strategy is to specifically inhibit or block the interaction between YAP1 and TEAD through small molecules, thereby significantly reducing the proliferative capacity and potentially inducing cell death in cancer cells.
This thesis characterized the newly developed IAG933 drug in ovarian cancer cells. Examination includes the confirmation of the blocking of interaction between YAP1 and TEAD protein family members through western blot, cell viability, and the exploration of the possible impacts this blockage has on resistance to therapy and downstream effects concerning processes within the cell.
Recommended Citation
Sage, Alex, "Validating the Ability of IAG933 to Block the Interaction of YAP1 and TEAD in Ovarian Cancer Cells" (2025). Theses & Dissertations. 931.
https://digitalcommons.unmc.edu/etd/931
Comments
2025 Copyright, the authors