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The unique characteristic of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is that local invasion rather than distant metastasis is the major route for dissemination. Therefore, targeting the locally invasive cancer cells is more important than preventing systemic metastasis in HNSCC and other invasive-predominant cancers. We previously demonstrate a specific mechanism for HNSCC local invasion: the epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) regulator Twist1 represses microRNA let-7i expression, leading to the activation of the small GTPase Rac1 and engendering the mesenchymal-mode movement in three-dimensional (3D) culture. However, targeting the EMT regulator is relatively difficult because of its transcription factor nature and the strategy for confining HNSCC invasion to facilitate local treatment is limited. Imipramine blue (IB) is a newly identified anti-invasive compound that effectively inhibits glioma …