Of the transcription factors controlling EMT, we chose to focus on Snai1 (Snail) because its expression is sufficient for EMT7, it transcriptionally activates pluripotency-related genes8 and its expression has been linked to stem cell characteristics in several cancers including breast9,10, liver11, ovarian12, colorectal13, and squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck14. This evidence concerns the gene SNAI1 and squamous cell carcinoma.