Covalent pan-TEAD inhibitors block YAP activity and demonstrate brain penetrance in a Hippo-dependent cancer model.
basic_science · Level V
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- Also identified by DOI 10.1038/s41467-026-74722-5.
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Abstract
TEAD transcription factors enable the oncogenic activity of deregulated Hippo signaling and are a promising therapeutic target in oncology. Targeting the TEAD lipid pocket is an established path to inhibit the oncogenic activities of cofactors YAP and TAZ. Here we present two pan-TEAD inhibitors, GNE-8025 and its in vivo brain-penetrant derivative GNE-2181, that covalently bind the lipid pocket at a conserved cysteine. Both small molecules show growth inhibition of YAP-driven tumor cells in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, we show that GNE-8025 increases the activity of a broad range of MAPK pathway inhibitors in vitro as well as the KRAS<sup>G12C</sup> inhibitor Divarasib both in vitro and in vivo. In addition, GNE-2181 inhibits growth of an intracranial tumor model in vivo. Altogether we present a next-generation class of TEAD inhibitors representing a significant advancement towards potent, specific, and effective Hippo-targeting cancer therapies.