Remarkably, the gene expression profiles of HNSCC cells cultured with Cav2+/+ nerves compared to those cultured with Cav2-/- nerves (shown in Fig. 5A–C) closely resemble the differential patterns noted between ALDH+ and ALDH- cell populations35, including the upregulation of OXPHOS and MYC target gene signatures that characterize ALDH1+ breast cancer CSCs (Fig. 5A, B of ref. 35). Here, ALDH1A1 is linked to head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.