Evidence mapPaperPMID 40678065Full record

ArticleFrontiers in oncology2025

Spatial transcriptomic analysis of 4NQO-induced tongue cancer revealed cellular lineage diversity and evolutionary trajectory.

Feng Liu, Xiaojun Wu, Shaoqing Yu, Deqiang Cheng, Jun Pan, Xiaodong Wang, Guanzhen Yu, Chaofu Li

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Article in Frontiers in oncology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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8 authors.

Feng Liu *School of Information and Control Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, China.
Xiaojun Wu *Department of Neurosurgery, Fudan University, Shanghai Cancer Center, Shanghai, China.
Shaoqing Yu *Allergy and Cancer Research Center, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
Deqiang ChengSchool of Information and Control Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Xuzhou, China.
Jun PanDepartment of Medical Oncology, Jinling Hospital, Medical School of Nanjing University, Nanjing, China.
Xiaodong WangSchool of Computer Science and Technology, Xidian University, Xi'an, China.
Guanzhen YuAllergy and Cancer Research Center, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai, China.
Chaofu LiDepartment of Oncology, Liuzhou Workers' Hospital, Guangxi, Liuzhou, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Spatial transcriptomic analysis has proposed valuable insights into the behavior of tongue cancer. However, the specific cell types involved in chemically-induced carcinogenesis and the process of tumor development remain elusive. Methods: We leveraged artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms and spatial transcriptomic sequencing to meticulously characterize the spatial and temporal evolution of 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO)-induced tongue carcinogenesis and intratumor heterogeneity. Results: An AI classifier effectively categorized dysplastic tongue tissue into 13 distinct groups. Spatial transcriptomics identified 13 corresponding cellular subgroups with unique features within the lesion. Both methods successfully distinguished subtle muscle phenotype and genetic lineage variations induced by 4NQO, despite limited morphological differences. Evolutionary tree analysis revealed the dynamic appearance and disappearance of functionally and genetically diverse cell subgroups during the progression from epithelial dysplasia to in situ carcinoma and invasive cancer. Key findings include the identification of specific switch genes associated with tumor invasion and the revelation of significant intratumor heterogeneity. Discussion: This spatial transcriptomic analysis of 4NQO-induced tongue cancer provides a detailed characterization of tumor evolution and heterogeneity. It elucidates critical aspects of tongue cancer cell behavior and identifies potential therapeutic targets (switch genes). These findings offer novel insights for improving the diagnosis and treatment of tongue cancer.

Indexed as

4-nitroquinoline-1-oxideartificial intelligencespatial transcriptomicsswitch genestongue cancer

Identifiers

PMID40678065
PMCPMC12267228

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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 Socratic graph.