The Hippo pathway and its correlation with acute kidney injury
Chi Zhang, 上海交通大学附属第一人民医院肾内科, 上海 201600, 中国, Chuanlei Li, Kexin Xu, Zhihuang Zheng, Guozhe Cheng, Huijuan Wu, Jun Liu, 复旦大学基础医学院病理科, 上海 200030, 中国
Abstract
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a significant clinical complication with a substantial impact on morbidity and mortality, for which therapeutic options remain limited. The Hippo signaling pathway is an evolutionarily conserved pathway implicated in cell proliferation, dedifferentiation, and apoptosis via phosphorylation and inactivation of its downstream effectors Yes-associated protein (YAP)/transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif (TAZ). Recent studies have revealed that the Hippo pathway plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis and repair of AKI. The Hippo pathway can mediate renal dysfunction through modulation of mitochondrial apoptosis under AKI conditions. Transient activation of YAP/TAZ in the acute phase of AKI may benefit renal recovery and regeneration, whereas persistent activation of YAP/TAZ in severe AKI may lead to maladaptive repair and transition to chronic kidney disease. This review aims to summarize recent findings on the associations between the Hippo pathway and AKI and to identify new therapeutic targets and strategies for AKI.