Single cell analysis of sporadic human basal cell carcinomas

To explore tumor heterogeneity in sporadic human basal cell carcinoma tumors, we profiled three individual patient tumors by scRNA-Seq and scATAC-Seq. Basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) are driven by hedgehog signaling with GLI1 representing the key downstream transcription factor that drives tumor growth. GLI1 as such is a readout of active hedgehog signaling. We identified that LY6D can mark squamous populations such as in squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) that are negative for GIL1 and hedgehog signaling. As such, both GLI1 and LY6D can be used as biomarkers of BCCs and SCCs and their related states.