Description
NANOG is a key pluripotency factor in embryonic stem cells that is frequently expressed in squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs). However, a direct link between NANOG and SCCs remains to be established. Here, we show that inducible overexpression of NANOG in mouse skin epithelia dramatically promotes the formation of carcinomas upon chemical carcinogenesis. Gene expression analyses in pre-malignant skin indicate that NANOG induces a large set of genes associated to stemness and to epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Overall design: 4 papillomas from different control mice (CTR), and 3 papillomas from different transgenic Nanog overexpressing mice (TG)