Single-Cell Landscape Change in Cervical Epithelial Cells and Microenvironment During the Transformation from CINIII to Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

Title: Simple Summary Driven by the increasing incidence of CINIII in younger patients and limitations of surgical treatments, this study addresses the critical need for non-invasive CINIII therapies. Our goal was to uncover cellular and molecular changes during CINIII’s progression to cervical squamous cell carcinoma using single-cell sequencing. We discovered that Sox2 signaling marks cervical cancer stem cells, while key genes, including VWF, MMP2, and HTRA1, are upregulated in cancer-associated endothelial cells, and fibroblasts undergo transformation into myofibroblasts. The immune microenvironment also shifts, notably with increased macrophages. These findings provide crucial insights into disease progression, offering the research community potential targets for drug-based, non-invasive treatments to delay CINIII progression and preserve fertility.