Deciphering the role of the barr body in malignancy: An insight into head and neck cancer

X chromosome inactivation is the epitome of epigenetic regulation and long non-coding ribonucleic acid function. the differentiation status of cells has been ascribed to x chromosome activity,with two active x chromosomes generally only observed in undifferentiated or poorly differentiated cells. recently,several studies have indicated that the reactivation of an inactive x chromosome or x chromosome multiplication correlates with the development of malignancy; however,this concept is still controversial. this review sought to shed light on the role of the x chromosome in cancer development. in particular,there is a need for further exploration of the expression patterns of x-linked genes in cancer cells,especially those in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (hnscc),in order to identify different prognostic subpopulations with distinct clinical implications. this article proposes a functional relationship between the loss of the barr body and the disproportional expression of x-linked genes in hnscc development. © 2017,sultan qaboos university. all rights reserved.