Notably, the mRNA expression levels of somatic and embryonic stem cell markers related to cancer stemness, including CD133, ABCG2, Nanog, Oct4 and Sox2, were significantly increased in A549 and H1703 cells stably transduced with miR-582-3p but reduced in response to the presence of miR-582-3p-sponge in H1975 cells (Fig. 4b). The gene discussed is POU5F1; the disease is cancer.