The protein levels of Sp1 and EMT-related markers, including CD44, β-catenin and ALDH1, in 51 lung cancer patients were determined by IHC and grouped them into high and low expression individually, subsequently the relationship between the survival rate and protein levels was studied (Fig. 9C and Additional file 6: Fig. S6). The gene discussed is ALDH1A1; the disease is lung carcinoma.