Expression of NOTCH1 is correlated with expression of cancer stem cell markers and miR-150 in oral epithelial dysplasia

Boštjančič, Emanuela (author), Grubelnik, Gašper (author), Zidar, Nina (author), Dimnik, Katarina (author)

NOTCH1 is associated with various tumors, including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), with a complex role depending on cellular contexts. Our aim was to analyze the expression of NOTCH1, several stem cell markers, and selected microRNAs in preneoplastic lesion of the oral cavity, oral epithelial dysplasia (OAD). Our study included formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded biopsy samples of 36 cases of OAD and 15 cases of normal oral mucosa. Expression of NOTCH1, stem cell markers (AGR2, KLF4, NANOG, OCT4, SOX2), and miR-27a, miR-34a, miR-128, miR-145, miR-150, and miR-335 was analyzed by quantitative PCR (qPCR). Expression of NOTCH1 protein was analyzed by immunohistochemistry. In OAD compared to normal mucosa, we found a significant increase in mRNA levels of NOTCH1, stem cell markers AGR2, NANOG, OCT4, and SOX2, and miR-150 and miR-128. NOTCH1 mRNA positively correlated with all five stem cell markers' mRNA levels and miR-150. Immunohistochemistry showed variable expression patterns of NOTCH1 in OAD and normal mucosa. Our results support the role of NOTCH1 in early phases of OSCC development, with a potential contributory role in stemness, in association with AGR2, NANOG, OCT4, and SOX2, miR-150 and miR-128. These results support a complex role of NOTCH1 in carcinoma development, i.e., from oncogenic to tumor suppressor roles and stemness maintenance, not only in invasive OSCC but also in its precursor-OED.

• Language: English
• Keywords: NOTCH1, microRNAs, oral epithelial dysplasia, squamous cell carcinoma, stem cell markers
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 12 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 27, iss. 4, art. 1946
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-184297
• UDC: 616:577.2
• ISSN on article: 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms27041946
• COBISS.SI-ID: 271526147
• Publication date in RUL: 03.07.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: International journal of molecular sciences
• Shortened title: Int. j. mol. sci.
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1422-0067
• COBISS.SI-ID: 2779162

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: oralna epitelijska displazija, ploščatocelični karcinom, označevalci matičnih celic

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P3-0054
• Name: Patologija in molekularna genetika