Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40318012›Full record

ArticleJournal of cellular and molecular medicine2025

Single-Cell Profiling Reveals Conserved Differentiation and Partial EMT Programs Orchestrating Ecosystem-Level Antagonisms in Head and Neck Cancer.

Donghui Jiang, Xiaoguang Wu, Yuanyuan Deng, Xi Yang, Zhiqiang Wang, Yong Tang, Li He, Xiaoguang He

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of cellular and molecular medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Donghui JiangDepartment of Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.ORCID 0009-0004-7610-5666
Xiaoguang WuDepartment of Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
Yuanyuan DengDepartment of Dermatology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
Xi YangDepartment of Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
Zhiqiang WangDepartment of Radiation Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
Yong TangDepartment of Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
Li HeDepartment of Dermatology, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.ORCID 0000-0002-3601-3036
Xiaoguang HeDepartment of Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, Yunnan, China.ORCID 0000-0001-8791-3774

Funding

Priority Union Foundation of Yunnan Provincial Science and Technology Department and Kunming Medical University 202201AY070001-047Yunnan Revitalization Talent Support Program RLMY20200027
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSC) exhibits profound intratumoral heterogeneity, driven by dynamic interactions between malignant cells and the tumour microenvironment (TME). Using consensus non-negative matrix factorisation (cNMF) on multi-site HNSC single-cell transcriptomes, we resolving conserved meta-programs define cellular ecosystems. Six major epithelial programmes emerged, including a differentiation-associated programme (Epi_Diff) correlated with SPDEF activity and favourable patient prognosis, and an invasive programme (Epi_pEMT) potentially controlled by TEAD4-mediated ECM remodelling, exhibiting partial EMT markers (VIM, TGFB1). Compartment-specific crosstalk analysis revealed Epi_pEMT cells may coordinate with mCAF1 fibroblasts and TAM(SPP1) through COL1A1-CD44 and SPP1-CD44 signalling, suggesting potential formation of a pro-invasive niche. Conversely, Epi_Diff cells may interact with NK/T cells through CEACAM5-CD8A and CCL5-ACKR2, and may contribute to inhibit immune infiltration. Multi-compartment correlation analysis revealed three ecosystem-level patterns: (1) Inverse association between Epi_Diff and Epi_pEMT (Spearman R = -0.43); (2) Negative correlation between mCAF1 abundance and cCAF frequency (R = -0.48); (3) TAM(SPP1) dominance inversely correlating with both TAM(C1Q) (R = -0.43) and NK/T infiltration (R = -0.36). These axes suggest a potential hierarchical ecology framework where lineage-specific polarisation and inter-compartment synergies may collectively govern disease progression.

Indexed as

Cell DifferentiationEpithelial-Mesenchymal TransitionHead and Neck NeoplasmsSingle-Cell AnalysisSquamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and NeckBiomarkers, TumorGene Expression ProfilingGene Expression Regulation, NeoplasticHumansTranscriptomeTumor MicroenvironmentBiomarkers, TumorcNMFHNSCmeta programssingle‐cell sequencingTME

Identifiers

PMID40318012
PMCPMC12049153

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.