Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics reveal SPRR2A+ epithelial-MMP1+ fibroblast interactions as key drivers of Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma progression

International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 2026 Open access

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Authors: Wenming Yang, Y Q Chen, Fujue Wang, Wenqi Chen, Xiang Xiao, Rong Ma, Deying Kang
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2026.152654
Cited by: 1
References: 36

Abstract

fibroblasts exhibited pronounced spatial co-localization, which may imply reciprocal signaling via TGFB1 and IL6, contributing to the observed extracellular matrix remodeling and malignant behavior. Moreover, functional experiments confirmed that SPRR2A promotes ESCC cell migration and invasion. Altogether, our study characterizes a coordinated epithelial-fibroblast corsstalk and a defined fibroblast differentiation hierarchy, offering new mechanistic insights into the ESCC pro-tumorigenic niche.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Esophageal Cancer Research and Treatment Single-cell and spatial transcriptomics Cancer Cells and Metastasis

Publication details

Journal / source
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Volume
377
Pages
152654–152654
Publication date
21 May 2026
Language
EN