VASN and neoplasm: Mechanistically, <i>in vitro</i> and bioinformatics analysis revealed a potential link between VASN and stemness-associated Wnt/β-catenin signaling.<h4>Conclusions</h4>Our investigation identified a stem-like epithelial subpopulation and established a stem-related gene signature, offering insights into stemness-associated tumor progression and immunological niche dynamics in AEG.