Targeting the Hippo Signaling Pathway in Atypical Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumor

Abstract

Atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor (ATRT) is a highly malignant pediatric central nervous system tumor. The prognosis is often poor, with a 2‐year survival rate estimated at 15%. This dismal prognosis highlights the need to develop new treatment modalities for this devastating pediatric tumor. Recently, a tumor suppressing signaling pathway known as Hippo has emerged as a possible cancer treatment target. The Hippo signaling pathway is involved in organ growth and maintenance, and is dysregulated in many diverse cancers. We used quantitative real‐time PCR to evaluate the mRNA expression profile of Hippo pathway genes. We then used determined the protein expression of various Hippo components using Western blots. The results of this study suggest that Hippo plays a definite role in atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor.