CD44 and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: Our results also indicated that lncRNA regulates CSC properties through OCT4; PDIA3P1 upregulates OCT4 expression, and after silencing OCT4, the cell sphere formation, percentage of SP cells, and CD271 + CD44 + cells promoted by PDIA3P1 are reversed, indicating that OCT4 mediates PDIA3P1 regulation of CSC properties in ESCC.