WWTR1 and cancer: Mechanistically, the direct anti-cancer properties of metformin and simvastatin are thought to be mediated, at least partially, by their inhibitory action on the transcriptional co-activators YAP (Yes-associated protein) and TAZ (transcriptional co-activator with PDZ-binding motif)18,19, major downstream effectors of the Hippo pathway, which gained strong interest as a central hub for (pancreatic) cancer development and progression20–23.