Comprehensive Characterization of Stem Cell Landscape Identifies Novel Stemness-Relevant Genes for Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Therapy.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Metastasis and recurrence account for the failure of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treatment. Growing evidence indicates the dominant roles of cancer stem cells (CSCs) in tumor progression and therapy resistance. However, the heterogeneity of CSCs and potential stemness-related markers in NPC patients are still largely unknown.

Methods

Consensus clustering was first applied to identify robust stemness subtypes for NPC patients based on the activities of stem cell gene sets. The differences in clinical outcomes, tumor immune microenvironment (TIME), and drug response were compared between subtypes. The stemness-related markers were prioritized via weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) and Cox regression, and verified through in vitro experiments.

R

SUBMITTER: Xu D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12896439 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature