41Chemoresistance is one of the important factors for treatment failure in OSCC, which can 42 culminate in progressive tumor growth and metastatic spread. Rewiring tumor cells to undergo 43 drug-induced apoptosis is a promising way to overcome chemoresistance, which can be achieved 44 by identifying the causative factors for acquired chemoresistance. In this study, to explore the 45 key cisplatin resistance triggering factors, we performed global proteomic profiling of OSCC 46 lines representing with sensitive, early and late cisplatin-resistant patterns. The top ranked up-47 regulated protein appeared to be CMTM6. We found CMTM6 to be elevated in both early and 48 late cisplatin-resistant cells with respect to the sensitive counterpart. Analyses of OSCC patient 49 samples indicate that CMTM6 expression is upregulated in chemotherapy-non-responder tumors 50 as compared to chemotherapy-naïve tumors. Stable knockdown of CMTM6 restores cisplatin-51 mediated cell death in chemoresistant OSCC lines. Similarly, upon CMTM6 overexpression in 52 CMTM6KD lines, the cisplatin resistant phenotype was efficiently rescued. Mechanistically, it 53 was found that CMTM6 interacts with membrane bound Enolase-1 and stabilized its expression, 54 which in turn activates the AKT-GSK3β mediated Wnt signaling. CMTM6 triggers the 55 translocation of β-catenin into the nucleus, which elevates the Wnt target pro-survival genes like 56 Cyclin D, c-Myc and CD44. Moreover, incubation with lithium chloride, a Wnt signaling 57 activator, efficiently rescued the chemoresistant phenotype in CMTM6KD OSCC lines. In a 58 patient-derived cell xenograft model of chemoresistant OSCC, knock-down of CMTM6 restores 59 cisplatin induced cell death and results in significant reduction of tumor burden. CMTM6 has 60 recently been identified as a stabilizer of PD-L1 and henceforth it facilitates immune evasion by 61 tumor cells. Herewith for the first time, we uncovered another novel role of CMTM6 as one of 62 the major driver of cisplatin resistance. 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 Head and neck cancer is the sixth most common cancer worldwide with approximately 53,260 73 new cases are being reported in United States alone 1 . Almost 90% of HNSCC cancer cases are 74 Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) which has emerged as the most common cancer in 75 developing countries. In India, 80000 new OSCC cases are reported in each year with a 76 mortality of ~46000 2 . OSCC patients commonly present with locally advanced (stage III or IV) 77 disease. The treatment modalities of advanced OSCC are surgical removal of primary tumor 78 followed by chemo-radiotherapy 3 . However, neoadjuvant chemotherapy is commonly 79 prescribed for surgically unresectable OSCC tumors that provide more surgical options 4 . In spite 80 of having all these treatment modalities, the 5-year survival rate of advanced tongue OSCC 81 remains less than 50%, which indicates the development of resistance against existing therapy. 82 Chemoresistance is one of the major factors for treatment failure in...