YAP1 and cancer: The active YAP and its functional paralog TAZ then migrate to the nucleus, form a transcriptional complex with their DNA-binding partner TEAD (transcriptional enhanced associate domain) and promotes transcription of YAP/TAZ target genes (CTGF, CYR61, ANKRD1 etc.), ultimately aiding tumorigenesis.444 Moreover, the transcriptional complex formed by TAZ and TEAD4 has two binding sites in SOX2 promoter, which in turn facilitates transcription of SOX2, leading to the self-renewal property and maintenance of the cancer stem cell population in HNSCC cells.