However, a strength of our findings is the use of both established human HNSCC cell lines, the use of a murine syngeneic metastatic HNSCC model and the use of both genetic as well as pharmacologic inhibition which demonstrates consistent findings that targeting the MK2 pathway can impact tumor cell migration, invasion, and metastases. The gene discussed is MAPKAPK2; the disease is head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.