TWIST1 and cancer: As a CRL, JPX is involved in various types of cancers and is a biomarker that may indicate a poor prognosis of cancers.33,34 Being identified as an oncogenic regulator in lung cancer, JPX facilitates lung tumor growth and induces epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and lung cancer cell invasion by upregulating Twist1.33 The expression level of JPX is also upregulated in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma and is relevant to enhanced invasion and angiogenesis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.35 Herein, we found that JPX was also significantly upregulated in epithelial cells of HNSCC.