According to previous in silico findings through multiple sets of transcriptomic profiling and our speculation regarding the putative role of the KDM5D/AURKB axis in contributing to drug-tolerant persister cells, KDM5D silencing was performed in platinum-tolerant HNSCC cells and determine the downstream modulation by KDM5D. This evidence concerns the gene AURKB and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.