Visudyne (verteporfin) / Novartis, Bausch Health - LARVOL DELTA

The rise of YAP: A new hope in glioblastoma treatment (AACR 2026) - "The first-line treatment and current standard of care for GBM, aside from maximum surgical resection, is temozolomide (TMZ). Finally, we elucidated that YAP mediates GBM chemoresistance by inducing tumour cell stemness, which can be overcome by using the YAP inhibitor verteporfin, increasing GBM susceptibility to TMZ in both sensitive and resistant cell lines. In conclusion, this highlights the importance of YAP in driving GBM cell stemness and chemoresistance, a significant clinical problem, and underscores the potential YAP inhibitors hold as a promising and novel adjuvant or combination therapy in the treatment of chemoresistant GBM."

Brain Cancer • Glioblastoma • Oncology • Solid Tumor

Simultaneous targeting of CHI3L1 and PD-1/PD-L1 axis to overcome drug resistance and immune tolerance of EGFR non-small cell lung cancer (AACR 2026) - "These findings led us to understand that CHI3L1 and PD-1/PD-L1 axis mediated throughactivation of Hippo-YAP/TAZ signaling pathways play an essential role in TKIs drug resistance andimmune tolerance that enhances the progression of EGFR NSCLC. Additionally, simultaneous targeting ofCHI3L1 and PD-1/PD-L1 axis employing bispecific antibody (CHI3L1xPD-1) may provide a bettertherapeutic option to overcome TKI resistance and immune tolerance of EGFR NSCLC."

IO biomarker • Brain Cancer • Glioblastoma • Lung Cancer • Melanoma • Non Small Cell Lung Cancer • Oncology • Prostate Cancer • Solid Tumor • CHI3L1 • EGFR • PD-L2

Hypothermic machine perfusion attenuates DCD liver ischemia reperfusion injury via the YAP1/P53-mediated micromitophagy pathway. (PubMed, Free Radic Biol Med) - "These effects were abrogated by the YAP1 inhibitor verteporfin in vivo and by YAP1 knockdown or MIEAP silencing in vitro. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that HMP reduced oxidative damage and inflammation of DCD liver through YAP1/P53-mediated micromitophagy."

IO biomarker • Journal • Cardiovascular • Hepatology • Inflammation • Liver Failure • Reperfusion Injury • Transplantation • BCL2 • BNIP3 • BNIP3L • TP53 • YAP1

Hongwu mixture exerts inhibition on triple-negative breast cancer by regulating SAV1/Hippo signaling through ZNF143. (PubMed, Mamm Genome) - "Knockdown of ZNF143/SAV1 signaling impaired the therapeutic effect of HWM, and treatment with verteporfin, pharmacological inhibition of YAP/TAZ, reversed the effects of knockdown of SAV1. Therefore, HWM might offer a potent strategy for managing TNBC effectively."

Journal • Breast Cancer • Oncology • Solid Tumor • Triple Negative Breast Cancer • LATS1 • WWC1 • YAP1 • ZNF143

Metallothionein Safeguards Hepatic Zn-Fe Homeostasis and Restrains Yap-Driven Hepatic Fe Overload to Protect Against Chronic Liver Fibrosis. (PubMed, Liver Int) - "These findings reveal MT as a key hepatocyte integrator of trace-metal homeostasis and Yap signalling and suggest that therapeutic strategies enhancing MT activity or combining Zn supplementation with Yap inhibition may offer new avenues to prevent or reverse chronic liver fibrosis."

Journal • Fibrosis • Hepatology • Immunology • Liver Cirrhosis • Liver Failure

Airborne 1O2 Delivery via a Superhydrophobic Dressing as a Pathway to Next-Generation Wound Therapies, an in Vivo Murine Burn Model Study. (PubMed, Adv Healthc Mater) - "The verteporfin-coated SH membrane generates 1O2 while minimizing direct contact between PS and wound tissue...SH-aPDT also promotes a pro-regenerative immune response, as evidenced by increased M2 macrophages. These findings demonstrate that airborne 1O2 delivery through SH bandages is a promising approach for the management of infected, hypoxic, or antibiotic-resistant wounds, with great potential for clinical translation in wound care."

Journal • Preclinical • Infectious Disease • PTGS2

REPEATED LOW-DOSE CISPLATIN EXPOSURE INDUCES KIDNEY FIBROBLAST-TO-MYOFIBROBLAST TRANSITION VIA G2/M ARREST AND CELLULAR SENESCENCE (ISN-WCN 2026) - "Mechanistically, repeated cisplatin exposure activated Yes-associated protein (YAP), a transcriptional regulator known to drive tissue fibrosis. Disruption of the YAP–TEAD interaction using Verteporfin markedly attenuated RLDC-induced cellular hypertrophy, senescence, and myofibroblast transformation.Results Together, these results suggest that repeated low-dose cisplatin induces fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition through YAP activation and G2/M arrest–associated p21 signaling.Conclusion This study highlights cellular senescence as a key pathological link between chronic injury and fibrotic remodeling and identifies YAP and p21 as potential therapeutic targets to prevent cisplatin-induced CKD."

Acute Kidney Injury • Chronic Kidney Disease • Fibrosis • Immunology • Nephrology • Renal Disease • Solid Tumor • FN1

Endothelial Hippo pathway regulates the neutrophil niche and lung fibrosis. (PubMed, Pharmacol Res) - "Activating YAP1 via depleting the upstream repressor SAV1 in ECs promotes bleomycin-induced lung fibrosis, while endothelial YAP1 deficiency reverses lung fibrosis. Therapeutically, inhibition of YAP1 with verteporfin reduces endothelial CXCL1 expression, neutrophil recruitment and lung fibrosis. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the roles of Hippo/YAP1 in regulating endothelial-neutrophil niche to participate in lung fibrosis."

Journal • Fibrosis • Immunology • Respiratory Diseases • CXCL1 • CXCR2 • YAP1

SCARFREE-001: Verteporfin for Scar Prevention (clinicaltrials.gov) - P2 | N=12 | Not yet recruiting | Sponsor: Odense University Hospital

New P2 trial

ANESTHESIA-DEPENDENT MECHANOTRANSDUCTION THROUGH YAP/TAZ SIGNALING DRIVES PRESSURE-OVERLOAD FIBROSIS (ACC 2026) - " Male C57BL/6J mice underwent transverse aortic constriction (TAC) under volatile isoflurane or intravenous ketamine/xylazine. Substrate stiffening amplifies fibroblast activation via YAP/TAZ signaling, with anesthetic modality exerting differential effects. Verteporfin mitigates fibrosis and preserves function under both volatile and intravenous anesthesia, identifying YAP/TAZ as a peri-anesthetic therapeutic target."

Aesthetic Medicine • Fibrosis • Immunology • CTGF

Structure-dependent reactive oxygen species generation by scintillator-free X-ray-activated porphyrins: insights into charge effects and internal conversion quantum yield. (PubMed, J Radiat Res) - "Validation with clinically relevant PS showed that Visudyne and protoporphyrin IX-both bearing anionic carboxylate groups-were active...These findings suggest that along with molecular charge, conformational flexibility-potentially facilitating internal conversion from high-energy excited states-represents a key design parameter for scintillator-free radiosensitizers. This approach offers a simplified, biocompatible formulation strategy for deep-tissue cancer therapy without relying on heavy-metal nanoscintillators."

Journal • Oncology

An open-label Phase I/II study to assess the safety and efficacy of photodynamic therapy using the SpectraCure P18 System with verteporfin for the treatment of recurrent prostate cancer (AUA 2026) - No abstract available

Clinical • P1/2 data • Genito-urinary Cancer • Oncology • Prostate Cancer • Solid Tumor

Mechanistic study of swertiamarin in treating ulcerative colitis by regulating YAP-mediated Wnt and Notch pathways for intestinal stem cell repair. (PubMed, Mol Immunol) - "This study revealed that iridoid compounds, represented by SW, are the primary active components in Qinjiao for treating UC by restoring mucosal barrier integrity through enhanced ISC proliferation and differentiation."

Journal • Gastroenterology • Gastrointestinal Disorder • Immunology • Inflammation • Inflammatory Bowel Disease • Ulcerative Colitis

Cyanidin-3-O-glucoside chloride inhibits cartilage degeneration and inflammation in TMJOA via YAP/NF-κB signaling pathway. (PubMed, Food Funct) - "Pharmacological inhibitors of YAP (verteporfin) and NF-κB (BAY 11-7082) were applied to confirm pathway involvement. Moreover, intra-articular administration of C3G significantly downregulated MMP13 and IL-1β expression, enhanced COL2A1 expression, and increased cartilage thickness in vivo. Collectively, these findings indicate that C3G confers protection against TMJOA by inhibiting cartilage matrix degradation, promoting extracellular matrix deposition, and suppressing inflammation through blockade of the YAP/NF-κB signaling axis, thereby highlighting C3G as a promising therapeutic candidate for the management of TMJOA."

Journal • Immunology • Inflammation • Osteoarthritis • Pain • Rheumatology • COL2A1 • IL1B • MMP13 • SOX9

Pulmonary Vascular Stiffening Drives YAP1-Dependent Endothelial Metabolic Maladaptation and Hyperproliferation in Pulmonary Hypertension Due to Left Heart Disease (ISHLT 2026) - "Pharmacologic (Verteporfin) or siRNA-mediated YAP1 inhibition reversed these effects and normalized fibrillar collagen expression in vitro, suggesting a mechanosensitive feedback loop...Conversely, mitochondrial stress (paraquat or CCCP) activated YAP1, revealing reciprocal crosstalk between mechanotransduction and mitochondrial dysfunction that may drive endothelial maladaptation in PH-LHD.Conclusion This study identifies YAP1 as a central driver of endothelial maladaptation in PH-LHD, linking vascular stiffening to mitochondrial stress and metabolic reprogramming. Together, these findings suggest that targeting YAP1 and vascular stiffening may offer a novel therapeutic avenue to mitigate pulmonary vascular remodeling in PH-LHD."

Cardiovascular • Heart Failure • Metabolic Disorders • Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension • Pulmonary Disease • Respiratory Diseases • PDK4 • YAP1

Albumin-hitchhiking self-assembly full-API nanoparticles for imaging-guided photodynamic potentiating tumor immunotherapy. (PubMed, Biomater Adv) - "In this work, without any excipients and carriers, the full active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) nanoparticles (FeV FANPs) are prepared by the assembly of verteporfin (VER) and iron ions (FeIII) without any carriers, which possess commendable stability and biocompatibility...Subsequently, FeV FANPs exhibit a GSH-responsive release of VER and FeIII, resulting in FeIII-triggered GSH depletion and VER-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT), which collectively induce intracellular redox imbalances and ferroptosis in tumor cells, thus promoting ICD. FeV FANPs show significant inhibition of both orthotopic and metastatic tumor growth through PDT-amplified immunotherapy, contributing to the advancement of clinically transferable nanoparticles for tumor immunotherapy."

Journal • Oncology

Filamin C Modulates Cellular Mechanoresponse Through Focal Adhesion Turnover and Actin Stabilization. (PubMed, Cytoskeleton (Hoboken)) - "Verteporfin-mediated YAP/TAZ inhibition caused adhesion enlargement and slight elevation of F/G-actin ratio in WT-C2C12 but had lower efficiency in FlncKO-C2C12...In addition, ROCK inhibition with Y-27632 demonstrated greater focal adhesion disassembly in FlncKO-C2C12 cells than in WT-C2C12 and produced a genotype-specific response, restoring β-catenin nuclear localization exclusively in FlncKO-C2C12 without affecting WT-C2C12 cells. In summary, we propose that in C2C12 muscle cells filamin C deficiency causes aberrant focal adhesion turnover and impairs actomyosin complex stabilization, which together compromise mechanosensitive pathways-YAP/TAZ and β-catenin-and affect differentiation potential of muscle cells already at the myoblast stage."

Journal • FLNC

Enhancing gastric cancer immunotherapy: Insights from multi-omics analysis and innovations in photodynamic-chemotherapy nanoplatforms. (PubMed, Cell Rep Med) - "To mitigate the off-target toxicity of verteporfin, a YAP1 inhibitor, we develop macrophage-membrane-camouflaged hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticles (M@O-VNPs) co-loaded with verteporfin and oxaliplatin...By inducing immunogenic cell death, M@O-VNPs remodel the tumor microenvironment and enhance ICB efficacy while minimizing systemic toxicity. The therapeutic potential of this strategy is supported by synergistic antitumor effects of M@O-VNPs combined with anti-PD-1 therapy in genetically engineered and syngeneic GC models."

Journal • Gastric Cancer • Gene Therapies • Oncology • Solid Tumor • CXCL5 • CXCR2 • SPP1 • YAP1

SHP2 improved Late-onset fetal growth restriction via modulating ROS/BRD4/PI3K/YAP/PIGF signaling induced angiogenesis. (PubMed, PLoS One) - "SHP2 improves LO-FGR by regulating ROS/BRD4 and PI3K/YAP/PIGF-induced activation of endothelial progenitor cells."

Journal • BRD4 • HIF1A • MYC • NOX4 • POU5F1 • SOX2

Copper-verteporfin coordination nanoparticles to reverse ferroptosis resistance in pancreatic cancer therapy. (PubMed, Nanoscale) - "To overcome this, we screened various metalloporphyrins and identified Cu-based verteporfin as an effective YAP inhibitor, so that a tumor-targeted nanosystem termed CuVP-F127-IKE-Mem is developed, which integrates the YAP inhibitor copper-verteporfin metalloporphyrin and the ferroptosis inducer imidazole ketone erastin (IKE) into cancer cell membrane-coated nanoparticles. In pancreatic cancer, CuVP-F127-IKE-Mem significantly enhances ferroptosis sensitivity, suppresses YAP/SLC7A11 signaling, and exhibits potent tumor growth inhibition in vivo. This YAP-targeted transcriptional regulation strategy establishes a new paradigm for overcoming ferroptosis resistance."

Journal • Oncology • Pancreatic Cancer • Solid Tumor • GPX4 • SLC7A11

In Silico Analysis of the Binding Mode of Verteporfin, a YAP-TEAD Interaction Inhibitor. (PubMed, Chem Pharm Bull (Tokyo)) - "This study provides the first systematic comparison of all VP isomers with full-length YAP and suggests that isolating Ia-2 from Visudyne may enhance anticancer efficacy. The findings further support the rational strategies for designing selective YAP-TEAD inhibitors."

Journal • Oncology

Efficacy of Photodynamic Therapy in Chronic Central Serous Chorioretinopathy: A Retrospective Analysis at Hanusch Hospital, Vienna. (PubMed, Klin Monbl Augenheilkd) - "PDT appears to be an effective treatment for achieving anatomical and functional stabilisation in cCSC. The limited visual improvement in Re-PDT and CNV subgroups underscores the importance of early treatment and tailored decision-making in cases of secondary neovascularisation."

Journal • Retrospective data • Macular Degeneration • Retinal Disorders

PD-L1-targeted photodynamic therapy orchestrates checkpoint blockade and immunogenic cell death for synergistic cancer immunotherapy. (PubMed, Redox Biol) - "In this study, we designed and synthesized Photodegradation-Targeting Chimeras (PDTACs) by conjugating a clinically approved photosensitizer, verteporfin, to a PD-L1-targeted peptide...In mouse models with immune cold tumors, PPA-VPF elicited robust adaptive antitumor immunity and effectively inhibited the growth of both primary and distant tumors. This PD-L1-targeted PDTAC achieved immune checkpoint blockade and ICD induction in a single therapeutic mode using one molecular species, presenting a novel strategy for combinational immunotherapy, particularly in immune cold tumors."

Checkpoint inhibition • Journal • Oncology • Targeted Protein Degradation • PD-L1

Targeting the PTCHD1-Hippo Axis by rhPTH(1-34) Restores Contact Inhibition and Suppresses Hyperproliferation in Psoriatic Keratinocytes. (PubMed, Eur J Pharmacol) - "Inhibition of the Hippo pathway with Verteporfin recapitulated the contact inhibition phenotype...In vivo, intraperitoneal injection of rhPTH(1-34) ameliorated psoriatic lesions in a mouse model, evidenced by reduced erythema, scaling, epidermal thickening, and lower inflammatory cytokine levels, without inducing fluctuations in serum calcium. In conclusion, rhPTH(1-34) restores contact inhibition and suppresses keratinocyte proliferation and inflammation by downregulating PTCHD1 to regulate the Hippo signaling pathway, demonstrating its potential as a treatment for psoriasis."

Journal • Review • Dermatology • Immunology • Inflammation • Psoriasis • CHD1 • IL1B • LATS1 • PTCH1 • PTCHD1

The Molecular Mechanisms and Therapeutic Potentials of Engrailed-1 in Fibrotic Scar Formation Post Glaucoma Filtration Surgery. (PubMed, Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci) - "Western blot analysis showed increased Yes-related protein/transcriptional co-activator PDZ-binding motif expression after TGF-β2 induction, which was reduced by verteporfin...Gel-Exo-siEN1 treatment significantly increased functional bleb area, reduced IOP, and decreased collagen deposition and inflammatory cell infiltration in the conjunctiva after GFS. Gel-Exo-siEN1 is a promising strategy for preventing postsurgical scarring and improving the outcomes of glaucoma surgery."

Journal • Fibrosis • Glaucoma • Immunology • Ophthalmology • FN1 • SMAD3 • TGFB1