DUXAP8 and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: DUXAP8, the top positive risk gene within NTAMPS, was highly expressed in ESCC tissues and cell lines, and its silencing suppressed cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and clonogenic potential.<h4>Conclusion</h4>This study establishes NTAMPS as a novel malignant cell-derived prognostic signature for ESCC by integrating single-cell and bulk transcriptomic data.