PLAU accelerates extracellular matrix remodeling through partial epithelial-mesenchymal transition in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma
Zhichang Liu, Qiaojing Jia, Zhichao Yang, Haizhong Zhang, Jingmiao Wang, Lisha Liu, Dan Lou, Jianxing Wang · 2026
Read PLAU accelerates extracellular matrix remodeling through partial epithelial-mesenchymal transition in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma by Zhichang Liu, Qiaojing Jia, Zhichao Yang, Haizhong Zhang, Jingmiao Wang, Lisha Liu, Dan Lou, Jianxing Wang (2026) in the Tower of Babel, a free online library of public-domain works preserved in clean, searchable text. No sign-up. The full text is served as a plain-text file at a predictable URL, where text is present: https://antarctic-labs.com/tower-of-babel/PMC13461851.txt.
Description
Zhichang Liu and colleagues report, in a 2026 study, that the gene PLAU helps head and neck cancer reshape its surroundings and spread. The cancer type starts in flat cells of the mouth, throat, and voice box. A halfway change, called partial epithelial-mesenchymal transition, lets cells loosen from neighbors and move. The team screened changed genes in public data to find drivers of that change.
Twelve candidate genes emerged, and PLAU stood out as tied to the halfway state. PLAU levels tracked closely with two marker proteins of that state in 75 tumor samples. Turning PLAU down slowed growth, invasion, and movement in lab dishes. Survival models named PLAU a sign of worse outlook, and high levels went with spread to neck lymph nodes. The authors conclude PLAU speeds the rebuilding of tissue around the tumor through that change, marking it as a target for blocking spread.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Zhichang Liu, Qiaojing Jia, Zhichao Yang, Haizhong Zhang, Jingmiao Wang, Lisha Liu, Dan Lou, Jianxing Wang |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 37527 |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |