Fig. 7: Clinical relevance of NSUN2, YBX3, and ICAM-1 in NPC patients.

A Representative images of IHC staining showing high or low expression of NSUN2, YBX3, and ICAM-1 proteins in tumor tissues from the same NPC patients (n = 100). Scale bar, 50μm. B Pearson correlation analysis of ICAM-1 with NSUN2 or YBX3 expression based on IHC scores in NPC patients (n = 100). Box plots depicting the correlations between the expression levels of NSUN2, YBX3, or ICAM-1 and clinicopathological features such as tumor grade (C), N stage (D). Expression was based on IHC staining scores in NPC patients (n = 100). E Kaplan-Meier survival analysis illustrating patient outcomes based on the individual or combined expression of NSUN2, YBX3, and ICAM-1, using IHC staining scores in NPC patients (n = 100). F Schematic diagram of a proposed model for EBV-induced m⁵C modification in NPC metastasis. EBV encodes LMP1 to upregulate NSUN2 via NF-κB signaling activation, leading to increased m⁵C modification of ICAM-1 RNA. The m⁵C-modified ICAM-1 is recognized by YBX3, a novel RNA m⁵C reader protein, recruiting PABPC1 through its CSD to enhance ICAM-1 translation and thereby promoting tumor metastasis.