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Mismatch repair protein MLH1 controls testis development by regulating the Hippo-YAP signaling pathway.

DNA mismatch repair (MMR) maintains genomic stability, and defects in MMR genes such as MLH1 and MSH2 predispose to cancer. Unlike other MMR components, MLH1 has unexplained roles in development, as Mlh1-deficient male mice exhibit severe testicular hypoplasia and sterility. Here, we uncover that MLH1 regulates testis development through the Hippo-Yes-associated protein (YAP) pathway. MLH1 directly binds YAP via its C-terminal domain and the WW domains of YAP, competitively inhibiting LATS1-mediated YAP phosphorylation. This interaction stabilizes YAP by suppressing ubiquitination and promotes its nuclear translocation dependent on MLH1's nuclear localization signal. Additionally, MLH1 facilitates YAP-TEAD complex formation, enabling expression of testicular development genes, including Wt1, Sox9, and Ctgf. These functions are independent of the MMR activity of MLH1. Mlh1-deficient mice show elevated YAP phosphorylation, reduced target gene expression, and impaired proliferation in developing testes. Pharmacological inhibition of the Hippo pathway kinases MST1/2 partially rescues testis hypoplasia in Mlh1-/- mice. These findings establish MLH1 as a Hippo pathway regulator and resolve its long-standing role in male gonad development.

Male

YAP Promotes Microtubule Growth to Facilitate Sarcomere Disassembly in Adult Cardiomyocytes.

BACKGROUND: Mature mammalian cardiomyocytes (CMs) develop compact sarcomeric structures that inhibit proliferation. Consequently, CMs must dedifferentiate to a fetus-like state, which is accompanied by sarcomere disassembly, to enable successful cytokinesis. However, the regulation and coordination of CM dedifferentiation, cell cycle progression, and sarcomere reorganization remain unclear. METHODS: We generated adenovirus and adeno-associated virus (MyoAAV) vectors expressing YAP5SA and YAP5SA-S94A under Xon control for LMI070-inducible protein expression. We also developed MyoAAV-cTnT-Tuba1b-shRNA-miR30 for cardiomyocyte-specific knockdown of Tuba1b. These tools were used to investigate CM dedifferentiation and proliferation and sarcomere disassembly. We also performed Cleavage Under Targets and Release Using Nuclease to map the genome-wide binding sites of YAP5SA and YAP5SA-S94A in combination with RNA sequencing to identify YAP target genes. In addition, time-course live-imaging analysis was used to evaluate microtubule and sarcomere dynamics in adult CMs. RESULTS: We show that microtubule expression and network density decline with cardiac maturation. Overexpression of YAP5SA, a constitutively active YAP mutant, promotes microtubule growth by stabilizing microtubule dynamics, leading to CM dedifferentiation, cell cycle re-entry, and sarcomere disassembly. In contrast, colchicine blocks these processes and significantly attenuates YAP-induced cardiac regeneration. Live imaging reveals a distinct mode of sarcomere disassembly driven by enhanced microtubule polymerization, wherein microtubule plus-ends directly interact with α-actinin and displace α-actinin fragments, thereby facilitating sarcomere breakdown. Furthermore, the YAP5SA-S94A mutation, which disrupts the YAP and TEA domain interaction, significantly reduces YAP5SA-induced microtubule growth, sarcomere disassembly, and cell cycle activity. Mechanistically, cleavage under targets and release using nuclease combined with RNA sequencing identified direct YAP targets, including Ajuba and Tuba1b, which are critical for microtubule growth. CM-specific knockdown of Tuba1b attenuates YAP-driven sarcomere disassembly. CONCLUSIONS: These findings identify microtubule networks as an essential regulator modulating CM dedifferentiation and sarcomere reorganization, which is critical for CM cytokinesis and cardiac regenerative repair.

Animals

Transient YAP activation uncovers the neurogenic potential of proliferative mammalian Müller glia.

The Hippo pathway effector YAP promotes spontaneous proliferation of Müller glia (MG), suggesting that bypassing Hippo signaling and activating YAP could enhance retinal regeneration. However, whether proliferative adult MGs retain meaningful neurogenic competence remains unclear. Here, using viral delivery of a Hippo-resistant YAP variant to wild-type adult MGs, we achieved transient YAP activation in adult MGs, inducing proliferation followed by cell-cycle withdrawal and differentiation. Intersectional genetic lineage tracing and EdU labeling, combined with transcriptomic analyses, revealed that YAP-activated MGs predominantly regenerate MGs, whereas only a subset gives rise to bipolar cell-like neurons. These results indicate that proliferative MGs acquire a state resembling that of late-stage retinal progenitors, with limited neurogenic lineage potential. We conclude that YAP-activated cell-cycle reentry inefficiently reprograms adult MGs toward photoreceptor or ganglion cell fates. These findings define the limited competence of proliferative adult MGs to contribute to neurogenic fates and provide a rigorous framework for assessing in vivo glial reprogramming strategies.

AAV

Age-associated chromatin repression of Hippo-Yap signaling drives oogonial stem cell decline in chicken.

Oogonial stem cells (OSCs) are a type of reproductive germline stem cell present in the ovaries of adult animals after birth. They have been proposed to contribute to follicle renewal and could be associated with reproductive longevity, yet the molecular mechanism contribute to OSC malfunction during aging in chicken remain unclear. Here, we show that OSC number and proliferative capacity decline significantly from pre-laying to late-laying stages, accompanied by increased follicular atresia. RNA-seq analysis revealed a global reduction in transcriptional activity in aged OSCs. ChIP-seq demonstrated elevated H3K27me3 deposition, particularly at promoter regions, which correlated with repression of proliferation-related genes in the Hippo pathway including YAP1 and TEAD1. Pharmacological inhibition of H3K27me3 reduced repressive chromatin marks, restored Hippo pathway gene expression, and significantly enhanced OSC proliferation. Conversely, YAP1 knockdown attenuated proliferation-associated gene expression. These findings indicate that age-dependent H3K27me3 accumulation suppresses OSC proliferation through epigenetic repression of the Hippo-YAP axis, providing mechanistic insight into ovarian aging and a potential strategy to extend the laying cycle in poultry.

Animals

Yes-Associated Protein (YAP)1 and β-Catenin Immunohistochemistry as a Surrogate Marker for GTF2I-Mutant Type A/AB Thymomas.

Thymomas are rare thymic epithelial tumors classified by the World Health Organization into type A/AB thymomas, which commonly harbor GTF2I mutations and behave indolently, and type B thymomas and thymic carcinomas, in which these mutations are less common. Type A and AB thymomas are uniquely enriched for a recurrent somatic hotspot mutation in GTF2I p. L424H; yet, this gene is rarely included in clinical sequencing panels, limiting its diagnostic utility. Yes-associated protein (YAP)1, the principal effector of the Hippo signaling pathway, and β-catenin, the central transcriptional effector of the Wnt pathway, have emerging roles in thymoma biology; however, their relationship to GTF2I mutation status and histologic subtype has not been systematically characterized. We analyzed The Cancer Genome Atlas thymoma data set and an institutional cohort of 38 thymic epithelial tumors to evaluate YAP1 and β-catenin immunohistochemistry (IHC) as surrogate markers for GTF2I mutation status and histologic classification. In The Cancer Genome Atlas data set, YAP1 and CTNNB1 mRNA expression were markedly elevated in type A/AB thymomas relative to type B and carcinoma subtypes, and GTF2I-mutant tumors exhibited significantly higher YAP1 mRNA expression than GTF2I-wildtype tumors. Targeted next-generation sequencing of our institutional cohort confirmed enrichment of the canonical GTF2I p. L424H hotspot in indolent subtypes. By IHC, both nuclear YAP1 positivity and cytoplasmic β-catenin localization were significantly more frequent in indolent thymomas. Cytoplasmic β-catenin demonstrated high specificity (94%) for indolent histology, supporting its use in diagnostically challenging cases such as type A versus type B3 distinction on small biopsies. YAP1 IHC showed a high negative predictive value for GTF2I mutations, such that a YAP1-negative result reliably excludes a GTF2I-mutant tumor. These findings implicate crosstalk between Hippo and Wnt signaling in GTF2I-mutant thymomas and position YAP1 and β-catenin IHC as accessible, cost-effective surrogates for molecular subtyping in a tumor where standard sequencing panels have limited coverage.

GTF2I

Mutant RIT1 cooperates with YAP to drive an EMT-like lung cancer state.

Mutations in "Ras-like in all tissues" (RIT1) occur in up to 2% of lung adenocarcinomas and are mutually exclusive with KRAS and EGFR mutations, suggesting that RIT1 may act as a non-canonical driver oncogene in lung cancer. However, the lack of a RIT1-mutant lung cancer model has hindered the development and testing of RIT1-targeted therapeutics. Here, we report a mouse model with conditional regulation of the cancer-associated RIT1M90I variant. We show that autochthonous expression of RIT1M90I and combined inactivation of Nf2 and p53 drives an aggressive lung cancer with 100% penetrance and short latency. Oncogenic cooperation between RIT1M90I and p53/Nf2 loss is driven by synergistic activation of AP-1 transcription factors and can be reversed by the combined inhibition of MEK and TEAD. These data identify YAP/TEAD as a mediator of RIT1's oncogenic capability and nominate TEAD as a potential drug target in RIT1-mutant lung cancer.

Animals

Targeting eIF4A-dependent translation in genetically complex sarcoma.

Dedifferentiated liposarcoma (DDLS), myxofibrosarcoma (MFS), and undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) are the most common types of genetically complex sarcoma. There is an urgent need to develop effective targeted therapy for these deadly sarcoma types. Despite their genetic complexity, these sarcomas share genomic alterations causing PI3K/Akt/mTOR and MAPK pathway activation, and both pathways control translation mediated by the RNA helicase eIF4A. We therefore investigated eIF4A inhibition as a therapeutic strategy. The eIF4A inhibitor CR-1-31B effectively suppressed tumor growth and induced apoptosis in DDLS, MFS, and UPS patient-derived cell lines and mouse xenografts. Transcriptome-scale ribosome footprinting identified eIF4A-dependent mRNAs such as the Hippo pathway transcriptional coactivators YAP1 (YAP) and WWTR1 (TAZ). Combined knockdown of YAP and TAZ induced apoptosis in DDLS, MFS, and UPS cell lines, and their ectopic expression partially rescued cells from apoptosis induced by CR-1-31B. Genomic analysis of patient tumors revealed that YAP and WWTR1 were frequently amplified or gained in DDLS, MFS, and UPS and were associated with worse clinical outcomes. Together, our findings identify a strategy for targeting the Hippo pathway in incurable forms of sarcoma based on inhibition of eIF4A-dependent translation of the key oncogenic transcription factors YAP and TAZ.

Humans

HBO1 functions as an epigenetic barrier to hepatocyte plasticity and reprogramming during liver injury.

Hepatocytes can reprogram into biliary epithelial cells (BECs) during liver injury, but the underlying epigenetic mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here, we define the chromatin dynamics of this process using single-cell ATAC-seq and identify YAP/TEAD activation as a key driver of chromatin remodeling. An in vivo CRISPR screen highlights the histone acetyltransferase HBO1 as a critical barrier to reprogramming. HBO1 is recruited by YAP to target loci, where it promotes histone H3 lysine 14 acetylation (H3K14ac) and engages the chromatin reader zinc-finger MYND-type containing 8 (ZMYND8) to suppress YAP/TEAD-driven transcription. Loss of HBO1 accelerates chromatin remodeling, enhances YAP binding, and enables a more complete hepatocyte-to-BEC transition. Our findings position HBO1 as an epigenetic brake that restrains YAP-mediated reprogramming, suggesting that targeting HBO1 may enhance hepatocyte plasticity for liver regeneration.

Hepatocytes

YAP/TEAD4/SP1-induced VISTA expression as a tumor cell-intrinsic mechanism of immunosuppression in colorectal cancer.

Hyperactivation of the YAP/TEAD transcriptional complex in cancers facilitates the development of an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Herein, we observed that the transcription factor SP1 physically interacts with and stabilizes the YAP/TEAD complex at regulatory genomic loci in colorectal cancer (CRC). In response to serum stimulation, PKCζ (protein kinase C ζ) was found to phosphorylate SP1 and enhance its interaction with TEAD4. As a result, SP1 enhanced the transcriptional activity of YAP/TEAD and coregulated the expression of a group of YAP/TEAD target genes. The immune checkpoint V-domain Ig suppressor of T-cell activation (VISTA) was identified as a direct target of the SP1-YAP/TEAD4 complex and found to be widely expressed in CRC cells. Importantly, YAP-induced VISTA upregulation in human CRC cells was found to strongly suppress the antitumor function of CD8+ T cells. Consistently, elevated VISTA expression was found to be correlated with hyperactivation of the SP1-YAP/TEAD axis and associated with poor prognosis of CRC patients. In addition, we found by serendipity that enzymatic deglycosylation significantly improved the anti-VISTA antibody signal intensity, resulting in more accurate detection of VISTA in clinical tumor samples. Overall, our study identified SP1 as a positive modulator of YAP/TEAD for the transcriptional regulation of VISTA and developed a protein deglycosylation strategy to better detect VISTA expression in clinical samples. These findings revealed a new tumor cell-intrinsic mechanism of YAP/TAZ-mediated cancer immune evasion.

Humans

RHAMM drives formation of polyploid cancer cells and confers resistance to ER-targeted therapy in breast cancer.

Endocrine resistance in ER+ breast cancer remains a major clinical challenge. Here, we identify RHAMM as a key driver of resistance by orchestrating polyploid cancer cell (PCC) formation. Single-cell transcriptomics uncovered a G2/M-enriched, RHAMM+ subpopulation in endocrine-resistant tumors. Mechanistically, RHAMM binds Septin9/10 to promote aberrant cytoskeleton polymerization, activating YAP independent of Hippo signaling, which induces cytokinesis failure and facilitates PCC generation. Concurrently, RHAMM destabilizes p21 mRNA, enabling cell cycle progression despite genomic instability. The RHAMM-p21 axis serves as a bypass mechanism supporting polyploidization. Upon endocrine treatment, RHAMM is transcriptionally up-regulated by Slug. Clinically, RHAMMhigh signatures are enriched in metastatic and recurrent ER+ tumors and correlate with poor prognosis, highlighting its therapeutic relevance. Importantly, targeting RHAMM or YAP abrogates PCC formation and restores fulvestrant sensitivity. These findings reveal RHAMM-mediated polyploidization as an adaptive mechanism underlying endocrine resistance, suggesting the therapeutic potential of targeting the RHAMM-YAP axis.

Humans

Generative model for the first cell fate bifurcation in mammalian development.

The first cell fate bifurcation in mammalian development directs cells toward either the trophectoderm (TE) or inner cell mass (ICM) compartments in pre-implantation embryos. This decision is regulated by the subcellular localization of a transcriptional co-activator YAP and takes place over several progressively asynchronous cleavage divisions. As a result of this asynchrony and variable arrangement of blastomeres, reconstructing the dynamics of the TE/ICM cell specification from fixed embryos is extremely challenging. To address this, we developed a live-imaging approach and applied it to measure pairwise dynamics of nuclear YAP and its direct target genes, CDX2 and SOX2, which are key transcription factors of the TE and ICM, respectively. Using these datasets, we constructed a generative model of the first cell fate bifurcation, which reveals the time-dependent statistics of the TE and ICM cell allocation. In addition to making testable predictions for the joint dynamics of the full YAP/CDX2/SOX2 motif, the model revealed the stochastic nature of the induction timing of the key cell fate determinants and identified the features of YAP dynamics that are necessary or sufficient for this induction. Notably, temporal heterogeneity was particularly prominent for SOX2 expression among ICM cells. As heterogeneities within the ICM have been linked to the initiation of the second cell fate decision in the embryo, understanding the origins of this variability is of key significance. The presented approach reveals the dynamics of the first cell fate choice and lays the groundwork for dissecting the next cell fate decisions in mouse development.

Animals

Functional genomic screens uncover FERMT2 as a critical regulator of YAP/TAZ-driven tumorigenicity.

YAP and TAZ are transcriptional regulators essential for mechanotransduction, development, and tissue homeostasis, whose dysregulation is implicated in multiple diseases, including cancer. To identify key regulators of YAP/TAZ signaling required for breast cancer cell fitness, we performed CRISPR/Cas9-based loss-of-function genetic screens both in vitro and in vivo. A custom sgRNA library targeting 216 candidate YAP/TAZ modulators was screened across three breast cancer cell lines. Among these, FERMT2, a component of the integrin signaling pathway, consistently emerged as a strong drop-out hit, highlighting its essential role in sustaining YAP/TAZ-dependent fitness. Bioinformatic analysis of large-scale cancer datasets further revealed genetic co-dependency between FERMT2, YAP, and TAZ, particularly in tumors with high YAP/TAZ expression. Functional validation through FERMT2 knockout and silencing demonstrated its requirement for proliferation, anchorage-independent growth, and tumorigenicity in triple-negative breast cancer cells. FERMT2 loss impaired YAP/TAZ nuclear accumulation, reduced the expression of YAP/TAZ target genes, and decreased phosphorylation at key tyrosine residues. Mechanistically, FERMT2 regulates YAP/TAZ independently of the canonical Hippo pathway through integrin-mediated activation of FAK. Consistent with this, glucocorticoid-driven FAK activation restored YAP/TAZ signaling in FERMT2-depleted cells. Partial epistasis analyses also indicate that FERMT2 modulates actin-dependent regulation of YAP/TAZ. Together, these findings identify FERMT2 as a pivotal upstream regulator of YAP/TAZ via FAK signaling, demonstrate that YAP/TAZ are principal effectors of integrin activity, and suggest that FERMT2 may represent a selective vulnerability in cancers with elevated YAP/TAZ signaling.

Humans

Role of semaphorin 4f in cardiac fibroblasts to regulate matrix production through actin remodeling and YAP/TAZ activation.

Cardiac fibrosis remains a critical determinant of adverse outcomes in heart disease, yet effective anti-fibrotic therapies are lacking. While multiple semaphorin family members participate in cardiovascular pathophysiology, the role of semaphorin 4f (Sema4f) in cardiac fibrosis remains unexplored. This study investigates the role and mechanisms of Sema4f in fibrotic remodeling post-myocardial infarction (MI). We employed flow cytometry to characterize cell type-specific Sema4f expression patterns in post-MI hearts. Lineage-specific knockout mice (fibroblast vs. myeloid) were subjected to left anterior descending ligation to assess functional consequences. Proteomic analysis of Sema4f-deficient cardiac fibroblasts was conducted to identify downstream effectors. Key pathways were subsequently validated using pharmacological inhibitors. We found that Sema4f expression was markedly upregulated during the fibrotic phase post-MI, primarily due to fibroblast activation. Fibroblast-, but not myeloid-, specific Sema4f deletion significantly reduced fibrosis and improved cardiac function. Proteomic profiling revealed that Sema4f deficiency led to downregulation of pro-fibrotic gene expression, which was associated with impaired actin cytoskeletal remodeling and decreased nuclear translocation of YAP/TAZ. Pharmacological inhibition of either actin remodeling or YAP/TAZ activity attenuated fibrosis, whereas YAP/TAZ activation abolished the anti-fibrotic effects of Sema4f knockout. Our study provides the first evidence demonstrating the functional role of Sema4f in cardiac fibroblast activation and fibrosis progression. We have identified a fibroblast-specific mechanism mediated by the Sema4f-actin cytoskeleton-YAP/TAZ axis, offering novel mechanistic insights into fibrosis regulation and revealing a promising therapeutic target for cardiac fibrosis with potential clinical applications.

Animals

Molecular insights and therapeutic innovations in low-risk human papillomavirus-associated cutaneous wart.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a DNA virus that belongs to the Papillomaviridae family. Among the various types, high-risk strains are associated to malignancy, whereas low-risk types cause benign skin warts due to persistent infection. Unlike high-risk HPVs, low-risk HPV genomes remain in an episomal state while expressing E6/E7 proteins. These proteins exhibit a reduced ability to degrade pRb and p53, which finally leads to controlled epithelial hyperplasia instead of developing malignancy. Infection with low-risk HPV activates distinct host signaling pathways, ultimately promoting the proliferation of keratinocytes and formation of warts. Simultaneously, it triggers host innate and adaptive immune responses that often clear the lesion. This review focuses on low-risk types that cause skin warts by analyzing the molecular pathways, particularly the integrin-FAK-PI3K/AKT, Hippo-YAP/TAZ pathway along with MAPK-ERK pathways that promotes cutaneous benign wart formation. This article further studies clinical management strategies for HPV associated warts, including primary destructive treatment (cryotherapy, keratolytics, excision), immunotherapies (imiquimod, interferon injections or intralesional antigen), and novel adjunctive therapies with clinical evidence including photodynamic therapy, intralesional chemotherapeutics, and emerging HPV vaccination strategies. Among these, for benign skin warts, intralesional immunotherapy, particularly Candida antigen, and intralesional HPV vaccination have shown encouraging responses clinically. But extensive controlled clinical studies are necessary to establish their efficacy and clinical value as a standard medicine. This review therefore, generates a comprehensive overview of papilloma virus mediated skin warts and their management for both clinicians and researchers.

Humans

De novo pyrimidine synthesis is a collateral metabolic vulnerability in NF2-deficient mesothelioma.

Pleural mesothelioma (PM) is one of the deadliest cancers, with limited therapeutic options due to its therapeutically intractable genome, which is characterized by the functional inactivation of tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) and high tumor heterogeneity, including diverse metabolic adaptations. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these metabolic alterations remain poorly understood, particularly how TSG inactivation rewires tumor metabolism to drive tumorigenesis and create metabolic dependencies. Through integrated multi-omics analysis, we identify for the first time that NF2 loss of function defines a distinct PM subtype characterized by enhanced de novo pyrimidine synthesis, which NF2-deficient PM cells are critically dependent on for sustained proliferation in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, NF2 loss activates YAP, a downstream proto-oncogenic transcriptional coactivator in the Hippo signalling pathway, which in turn upregulates CAD and DHODH, key enzymes in the de novo pyrimidine biosynthesis pathway. Our findings provide novel insights into metabolic reprogramming in PM, revealing de novo pyrimidine synthesis as a synthetic lethal vulnerability in NF2-deficient tumors. This work highlights a potential therapeutic strategy for targeting NF2-deficient mesothelioma through metabolic intervention.

Pyrimidines

DNA methylation biomarkers for early detection of ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer (OC) remains difficult to detect at an early stage, and current screening approaches using CA125 and transvaginal ultrasonography have not demonstrated sufficient benefit for population screening. DNA methylation is a promising biomarker class because epigenetic alterations may arise early in tumourigenesis, can be detected in circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA), and may provide tissue-of-origin information. This review critically evaluates recent evidence on DNA methylation biomarkers for early OC detection. PubMed/MEDLINE, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched for studies published between January 2020 and September 2025, supplemented by selected earlier studies of biological or methodological relevance. Evidence was synthesised across single-gene biomarkers, multi-locus panels, genome-wide signatures, assay platforms, and machine-learning classifiers, with emphasis on early-stage performance, histological representation, comparator populations, analytical methodology, and validation design. Single-gene markers such as BRCA1, RASSF1A, OPCML, HOXA9, and HIC1 show variable performance, while multi-gene and classifier-based approaches generally provide stronger discrimination. However, many studies remain limited by retrospective case-control designs, small FIGO stage I-II subsets, predominance of serous disease, and insufficient prospective validation. Integration with CA125 may improve sensitivity but can reduce specificity, which is critical in low-prevalence screening. Clinical translation will therefore require minimal and reproducible methylation signatures, standardised low-input cfDNA workflows, rigorous external validation, and prospective longitudinal evaluation in intended-use populations.

Humans

Quality of life with palbociclib plus tamoxifen in hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative advanced breast cancer: results from PATHWAY, an Asian international, double-blind, randomized phase 3 trial.

BACKGROUND: In the Asian international PATHWAY trial, palbociclib-tamoxifen demonstrated improved progression-free survival compared with placebo-tamoxifen in patients with HR+/HER2- locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer (ABC). This analysis compared quality of life (QoL) between treatment arms. METHODS: Pre/peri or postmenopausal women with HR+/HER2- ABC were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive palbociclib-tamoxifen or placebo-tamoxifen. Patient-reported outcomes were assessed on day 1 of cycles 1 (baseline), 4, and 7, and at the end of treatment (EOT) using the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR23 questionnaires. Least-square mean (LSM) changes in scores from baseline were calculated. Kaplan-Meier method was used to calculate time to deterioration (TTD) in the minimally important difference (MID) in the pain subscale. RESULTS: In the comparison between treatment arms, no significant differences were observed in LSM changes in scores from baseline in global QoL (cycle 4: 0.70 [95% confidence interval (CI): -5.00, 6.41]; cycle 7: 2.17 [95% CI: -4.14, 8.48]; EOT: -5.19 [95% CI: -11.64, 1.26]). For both the EORTC QLQ-C30 and QLQ-BR23 functional and symptom subscales, no clinically meaningful differences between treatment arms were found in the LSM changes in scores from baseline. Median TTD in the MID in the pain subscale was 32.5 months (95% CI: 11.7, not estimable) for the palbociclib-tamoxifen arm and 21.2 months (95% CI: 5.5, 43.5) for the placebo-tamoxifen arm (hazard ratio = 0.729 [95% CI: 0.467, 1.138]). CONCLUSIONS: The combination of palbociclib and tamoxifen delayed deterioration in patients' QoL while they experienced reduced risk for disease progression. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03423199; study registration date: February 6, 2018.

Humans

Bypassing the emergency department for testicular torsion.

BACKGROUND: Testicular torsion is a time-sensitive urologic emergency that can result in testicular ischemia, atrophy, and loss if detorsion is delayed. Patients transferred from outside hospitals oftentimes experience prolonged ischemia due to repetitive assessments in the receiving emergency department (ED) and lengthy interhospital transfers. To address these delays, our institution created a pathway allowing patients with a confirmed diagnosis of testicular torsion to bypass the ED and proceed directly to the OR. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of an emergency department bypass pathway on time to surgical intervention and testicular salvage rates for patients transferred from outside hospitals with confirmed testicular torsion. STUDY DESIGN: Following one year of pathway implementation and institutional review board approval, a retrospective chart review was performed. Patients aged 12-18 years that were transferred from outside hospitals for confirmed testicular torsion were included in the pathway. A pre-pathway cohort (January 2022-December 2022) of patients with ED management was compared to a post-pathway cohort (August 2023-September 2024) of patients managed via direct OR transfer. Comparisons included patient age, mean time from ED registration to surgery start, orchiectomy rates, testicular atrophy rates at follow-up, and overall length of follow-up. T-tests and Fisher's exact tests were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: 71 patients were included. Mean time from registration to OR start was significantly shortened in the post-pathway cohort compared to the pre-pathway cohort (70 min vs. 23 min, p < 0.0001). This represents a 67% decrease in time to surgery. Post-pathway patients were significantly older than pre-pathway patients (15 years vs. 13 years, p = 0.0025). Orchiectomy rates did not significantly differ between the two groups (14% post-pathway and 28% pre-pathway, p = 0.2454). Similarly, no significant difference was observed for testicular atrophy at follow-up (17% post-pathway and 15% pre-pathway, p = 1.0). Mean length of follow-up was insignificant (90 days for post-pathway and 76 days for pre-pathway, p = 0.6605). DISCUSSION: Direct transfer to the OR with ED bypass significantly reduced time to surgical detorsion. Other variables such as orchiectomy and testicular atrophy rates were not significantly impacted. Patient-limited factors may have influenced outcomes, such as delays in symptom recognition and time to initial care. CONCLUSION: An ED bypass pathway for transferred patients with testicular torsion was highly effective at reducing time to surgical intervention. Although testicular salvage rates were not significantly affected, reducing ischemia time is clinically important and encourages pathway refinement and broader use.

Humans