ECT2⁺ cell group acts as cancer stem cell in malignant pleomorphic adenoma.

ABSTRACT: Salivary carcinoma ex pleomorphic adenoma (CXPA) is a carcinoma that develops from benign pleomorphic adenoma, and it is characterized by aggressiveness and poor prognosis. Recent advancements in cancer stem cell (CSC) research have identified CSCs as critical contributors to tumor carcinogenesis due to their unlimited self-renewal ability. Single-cell RNA sequencing has enabled a comprehensive analysis of CSC heterogeneity. However, CSCs in CXPA remain largely unexplored. In this study, we constructed a comprehensive atlas of CXPA at single-cell resolution and demonstrated that CXPA exhibited intratumoral heterogeneity. We identified four tumor epithelial cell subgroups characterized by epithelial development, cell cycle, extracellular matrix remodeling, and salivary secretion signatures.

SUBMITTER: Chen W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12170905 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature