CXCR4 and cancer: Given that bone invasion by OSCC is mainly mediated by the invasion and migratory ability of cancer cells [5], the invasion biomarker MMP9 and EMT biomarkers Snail and vimentin were next examined by IHC staining (Fig. 4C, E and G), which indiated that the IHC score of MMP9, Snail and Vimentin in HSC-3+AMD3100 group was lower than that in the only HSC-3 group (Fig. 4D, F and H).The IHC score for CXCR4 itself was confirmed to be significantly lower in the HSC-3 + AMD3100 group compared to the HSC-3-only group (Fig. 4A and B, p < 0.05), verifying the efficacy of the inhibitor.