In addition, downregulation of CD44 by lentiviral vector-based CD44 shRNAs and a miRZipsTM lentiviral-based miRNA inhibitor can specifically inhibit CD44 expression, as well as CD44-signaling-associated miRNAs (e.g., miR-21, miR-302 and miR-10b) expression and chemoresistance during solid tumor (e.g., breast, ovarian and head and neck cancer progression. Here, CD44 is linked to head and neck cancer.