The molecular mechanisms of traditional Chinese medicine active ingredients targeting the Hippo-YAP signaling pathway in the treatment of digestive system tumors

Digestive system tumors are characterized by high heterogeneity and poor prognosis, and their incidence rate and mortality remain high. The current radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy have limitations such as insufficient targeting, drug resistance, and immunosuppressive microenvironment. To overcome treatment bottlenecks, targeted regulation of core oncogenic pathways has become a key strategy. Research has shown that the conservative Hippo pathway regulates tumor progression through key effector factors such as Yes associated protein (YAP) and transcriptional co activator with PDZ binding motif (TAZ), and its dysregulation is closely related to tumor metastasis and prognosis. Traditional Chinese medicine, with its synergistic regulation advantages of multiple active ingredients and targets, has demonstrated the potential to inhibit the proliferation and metastasis of gastrointestinal tumors by intervening in the Hippo pathway. However, current research still faces many challenges, such as being limited to a single component and neglecting the overall analysis of the compound, and the mechanism exploration is not yet in-depth. This review provides a systematic overview of the Hippo-YAP pathway and elucidates its mechanism of action in digestive system tumors, as well as the anti-gastrointestinal tumor mechanism of traditional Chinese medicine active ingredients. It is expected to provide new ideas for the prevention and treatment of digestive system tumors in traditional Chinese medicine and the development of new drugs.