ABC	ATP-binding cassette
ACAM	Attached-cell Aldefluor method
ALDHs	Aldehyde dehydrogenases
AML	Acute myeloid leukemia
BE	Barrett’s esophagus
CAFs	Cancer-associated fibroblasts
CAR	Chimeric antigen receptor
CSCs	Cancer stem cells
CRT	Chemoradiotherapy
DDR	DNA damage response
EAC	Esophageal adenocarcinoma
EC	Esophageal cancer
ECSCs	Esophageal cancer stem cells
EGFR	Epidermal growth factor receptor
EMT	Epithelial mesenchymal transition
ESCC	Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma
FACS	Fluorescence-activated cell sorting
GEJ	Gastroesophageal junction
GERD	Gastroesophageal reflux disease
Hh	Hedgehog
HIF-1α	Hypoxia-inducible-factor 1α
HPV	Human Papillomavirus
ICAM1	Intercellular adhesion molecule1
lncRNA	Long noncoding RNA
Gli-1	Glioma-associated oncogene homolog 1
mAb	Monoclonal antibodies
MRD	Minimal residual disease
nCRT	Neoadjuvant chemoradiation
MAML1	Mastermind like1
MDR	Multidrug resistance
MHC-I	MHC class I molecules
REGARD	Ramucirumab monotherapy for previously treated advanced gastric or gastro-oesophageal junction adenocarcinoma
PDPN	Podoplanin
PTCH1	Patched 1
ROS	Reactive oxygen species
RR	Reporter-responsive
scRNA-seq	Single-cell RNA sequencing
SCs	Stem cells
SHH	Sonic Hedgehog
SP	Side population
SRR2	Sox2 regulatory region
TGF-β	Transforming growths factor-β
TME	Tumor microenvironment
T-ICs	Tumor-initiating cells
YAP	Yes-associated protein