Subsequent functional analyses revealed that the Lin28B/Let-7 pathway positively regulates POU class 5 homeobox 1 (POU5F1) and SRY-box transcription factor 2 (SOX2) expression in OSCC, thereby inducing a reprogramming-like phenomenon, switching non-CSCs to CSCs with tumor-initiating and self-renewal properties. This evidence concerns the gene SOX2 and neoplasm.