Cancer cells expressing an OLC signature (e.g., OLIG1, APOD; Supplementary Fig. 4d) or astro-mesenchymal signatures (e.g., CD44, GFAP, AQP4) were found at either end of DC2; cancer cells expressing a neuronal signature (e.g., STMN2, DLX2) were found at the end of DC1; and cancer cells expressing a GPC signature (e.g., OLIG2, NES ASCL1, HES6) were found at the end of DC3 and mid-DC2. This evidence concerns the gene ASCL1 and cancer.