Given that ZNF185 is expressed both in the epidermis and in head and neck normal tissues (Fig. 6a), we also analysed the ZNF185 mRNA level in different HNSCC sample datasets (GSE25099, GSE12452, GSE2379, and GSE3524) and found a significant (p-value: 5 × 10−5–7 × 10−13) decrease in ZNF185 expression in tumour samples compared to normal tissue (Fig. 6b). This evidence concerns the gene ZNF185 and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.