SOX2 and neoplasm: In the first instance, Under the control of intrinsic drivers, such as the overexpression of specific pluripotent transcription factors (like OCT4, Nanog, and Sox2) or aberrant activation of stemness-associated pathways (like Wnt, Notch, Hedgehog, and other signaling pathways), TCSCs drive the process of tumorigenesis and progression (12, 13); On the other hand, there are exogenous cues in the tumor microenvironment (TME) that sustain, bolster, or impede the fate of TCSCs.