COPB2 promotes hepatocellular carcinoma progression through regulation of YAP1 nuclear translocation

The Hippo pathway has been shown to be upregulated in many cancer patients. Yes-associated protein 1 (YAP1), an oncogene and core factor of the Hippo pathway, plays a key role in tumorigenesis and progression. Although YAP1 is a vital oncogene in HCC progression, its nuclear localization prevents its consideration as a potential therapeutic target. Recently, studies have reported that COPB2 also plays a critical role in HCC development, but its mechanism of action is unclear. Here, we found that COPB2 affects the drug sensitivity of HCC cells to DDP by regulating YAP1 nuclear translocation and stability. More importantly, COPB2 combined with YAP1 expression was related to overall postoperative survival in HCC patients and was an independent prognostic factor. The established nomogram and artificial neural network models also highlighted the prognostic value of these two genes for HCC patients. In summary, our findings suggest that COPB2/YAP1 affects the drug sensitivity of HCC cells to DDP and that targeting COPB2/YAP1 may be a promising strategy for the precision treatment of HCC.