Hippo signaling in epithelial stem cells.

Over the past decade, discoveries on Hippo signaling have revealed a complex signaling network integrating various signaling pathways to modulate tissue homeostasis, organ size control, tissue repair, and regeneration. Malfunction of the Hippo pathway is associated with tumor and cancer development. Moreover, Hippo signaling has been proposed to act in numerous stem cells in a variety of organisms. Recently, more attention has been paid to define the functions of the Hippo pathway in tissue-specific stem cells, which have great potential to be used in cell-based therapies. Here we provide an overview of its roles in regulating stem cells in epithelial tissues and its potential implications in related cancers.