YAP-dependent metabolic remodeling in local lymph node boosts the function of cancer cells

Cancer cells are remarkably flexible in their ability to adapt to various local environments to promote their survival, growth and invasion. A recent study by Koh’s laboratory suggests that metastatic cancer cells upregulate fatty acid oxidation (FAO) through activation of yes-associated protein (YAP), a major effector of the Hippo pathway, at local lymph nodes (LNs), which boosts the ability of the cancer cells to invade distant organs (1). We here discuss how YAP mediates the metabolic flexibility in metastatic cancer cells.