Fig. 3

Cervical CSC network modulation by high-risk HPV oncoprotein. With the help of the surface markers CD44, CD49f, CK17, and CD133, high-risk HPV targets explicitly stem cells in the cervical epithelium. High risk-HPV attaches to cell surface receptors, internalizes, and transports viral DNA to the cell nucleus. The oncoproteins E6 and E7 are produced due to the transcription and translation of the E6 and E7 oncogenes. The stemness-related genes Oct3/4, Nanog, Sox2, and Notch3 are among the molecules that E6 and E7 target; their overexpression encourages the growth of tumors and prevents the apoptosis, cell migration, and sphere formation of cancer cells. By upregulating ATP-binding cassette transporter, aldehyde dehydrogenase 1, and Musashi-1 expression, Oct3/4, Nanog, Sox2, and Notch3 promote drug resistance, which in turn encourages the clonogenicity, proliferation, increased invasiveness, and chemoresistance of cervical CSCs [52]