{
  "id": 18500891,
  "title": "Single-Cell Transcriptomics Reveals Tumorigenic Lineages and Interactions Persisting and Evolving From Premalignancy to Cancer in the Stomach",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/06/single-cell-transcriptomics-reveals-tumorigenic-lineages-and",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-11-06T00:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "bioRxiv",
    "slug": "biorxiv",
    "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.11.04.764362v1?rss=1"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a study of gastric cancer development, researchers utilized single-cell transcriptomics to identify specific molecular changes occurring in the premalignant stage, which persist and evolve into adenocarcinoma. The CTLA4-knockdown (CTLA4KD) mice, which mirror human CTLA4 insufficiency-associated gastric cancer, were employed in this research. By analyzing gastric tissue samples from the mice at different stages of disease progression, the scientists evaluated epithelial lineage relationships, cell-cell communication pathways, and candidate markers at both the transcript and protein levels.\n\nThe findings revealed a metaplastic/tumorigenic population that emerges in the premalignancy stage, originating from chief cells. Analysis of cell-cell communication showed a progressive increase in fibronectin (FN1) signaling, transitioning from stromal to autocrine signaling as the cancer progresses. Additionally, the expression of Embigin (EMB), an epithelial marker, increased at both the transcript and protein levels during premalignancy and remained elevated in cancer. Importantly, EMB epithelial cells co-expressed CD133, a marker associated with cancer stem cells, indicating a stem-like phenotype. EMB expression was also found to be higher in human gastric adenocarcinoma compared to matched normal tissue.\n\nIn conclusion, this research, conducted in a model that captures the full histopathological cascade of gastric tumorigenesis, delineates single-cell transcriptional programs that persist and evolve from premalignancy to adenocarcinoma. Novel markers involved in cell-cell communication during tumorigenesis were identified, including EMB. This marker, originally identified as an epithelial marker, persists from premalignancy through cancer in the murine model and has been validated in human gastric adenocarcinoma. The study suggests that EMB could serve as a potential marker for premalignant progression.",
  "summary": "Background & Aims Gastric cancer is often diagnosed at advanced stages, making the premalignant window critical for early detection. However, the epithelial changes that characterize this stage remain poorly defined. We used CTLA4-knockdown (CTLA4KD) mice, which model human CTLA4 insufficiency-associated gastric cancer, that develops autoimmune gastritis, metaplasia, and adenocarcinoma, to define…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}