Interestingly, macrophages and monocytes shared similar expression patterns for many TFs (Fig. 3e), suggesting that the macrophages may be derived from monocytes recruited to the NPC TME.36 Of note, the expression of genes regulated by BACH1 and RUNX1 was specifically upregulated in monocytes, whereas expression of NR1H3 and TFEC was prominent in macrophages (Fig. 3e). This evidence concerns the gene TFEC and nasopharyngeal carcinoma.