Functions and regulations of the Hippo signaling pathway in intestinal homeostasis, regeneration and tumorigenesis

Abstract

The intestine is an important digestive organ. Intestinal diseases such as acute or chronic enteritis and colorectal cancer pose a great threat to human health, which endows the studies related to intestine with great scientific and clinical value. The Hippo signaling pathway plays an important role in proliferation and differentiation of intestinal stem cells, and is involved in diverse physiological and pathological processes in the intestine. In this review, we summarize known functions and mechanisms of the Hippo signaling pathway in intestinal regeneration and tumorigenesis, provide a prospective on future research directions, and discuss potential therapeutic strategies targeting the Hippo signaling pathway.