The microdissected gene expression landscape of nasopharyngeal cancer reveals vulnerabilities in FGF and noncanonical NF-κB signaling.

ABSTRACT: Nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) is an Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive epithelial malignancy with an extensive inflammatory infiltrate. Traditional RNA-sequencing techniques uncovered only microenvironment signatures, while the gene expression of the tumor epithelial compartment has remained a mystery. Here, we use Smart-3SEQ to prepare transcriptome-wide gene expression profiles from microdissected NPC tumors, dysplasia, and normal controls. We describe changes in biological pathways across the normal to tumor spectrum and show that fibroblast growth factor (FGF) ligands are overexpressed in NPC tumors, while negative regulators of FGF signaling, including SPRY1, SPRY2, and LGALS3, are down-regulated early in carcinogenesis. Within the NF-κB signaling pathway, the critical noncanonical trans

SUBMITTER: Tay JK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8993121 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature