SOX2 and cancer: Furthermore, these cells expressed higher mRNA levels of some CSC markers such as NANOG, SOX2, OCT4 and BMI1 than control or SPN-A566V wild-type p53 cells (Figure 1H) and showed a higher proportion of CD44+ CD24- cells, which are cancer-initiating cells in breast tumors (Figure 1I)20,21,34.