Cordycepin inhibits the progression of liver cancer by suppressing the YAP/TAZ pathway.

Cordycepin exhibits anti-cancer properties; however, its exact mechanism of action in liver cancer remains to be fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated the effects of cordycepin on liver cancer. Our findings demonstrated that cordycepin effectively suppressed tumor growth in liver cancer models and induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells by upregulating caspase-3 expression and decreasing mitochondrial membrane potential. These effects were primarily associated with the inhibition total mRNA and protein expression of the YAP/TAZ, as well as the increased expression of p21 and p53. Moreover, cordycepin significantly reduced the metastatic and invasive potential of HepG2 cells and downregulated the expression of MMP-2 and MMP-9. These results suggest that YAP plays a crucial role in cordycepin-mediated suppression of HepG2 cell proliferation. In conclusion, our study indicates that cordycepin exerts its anti-tumorigenic effects by modulating cellular proliferation through the downregulation of the YAP/TAZ pathway.