NFATc3 plays an oncogenic role in oral/oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinomas by promoting cancer stemness via expression of OCT4.

Nuclear factor of activated T cells (NFATc1-c4), a family of transcription factors, is involved in many biological processes by regulating various downstream target genes. However, their role in cancer progression remains controversial. We here report that NFATc3 is the dominant isoform of NFAT in human oral epithelial cells, and its expression was increased in a stepwise manner during the progression of oral/oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).