A phenothiazine analog, PTF, suppresses breast cancer growth by inhibiting YAP signaling. (PubMed, Eur J Pharm Sci)
Compared with its precursor trifluoperazine, PTF exhibited markedly improved efficacy in inhibiting the proliferation of MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells, while sparing non-tumorigenic mammary epithelial cells (H184B5F/M10), which showed minimal sensitivity to the compound...Importantly, enforced expression of YAP attenuated PTF-induced cytotoxic effects, whereas blocking proteasomal function prevented PTF-driven degradation of YAP, implying that YAP destabilization contributes to the cytotoxic mechanism. Collectively, these results identify PTF as a potential therapeutic lead for breast cancer, acting through coordinated induction of apoptosis and autophagy, disruption of oncogenic signaling networks, and modulation of YAP protein stability.