Postoperative salivary adenoid cystic carcinoma (SACC) without symptoms is marked by dormant tumor cells in the primary site and metastatic organs. These cells, when reactivated, cause recurrence and metastasis. A treatment strategy that targets the "awakening" and elimination of these cells, combined with chemotherapy, could prevent and treat recurrence and metastasis. High expression of miR-455-3p were found to be crucial for SACC cell dormancy induced by serum starvation. High expression of miR-455-3p was inversely correlated with Ki-67 levels, while its reduction was linked to SACC tumor recurrence. These findings further imply that elevated miR-455-3p expression in SACC is indicative of a state of tumor dormancy. Mechanistically, a dual luciferase reporter assay provided further validation that miR-455-3p targeted GNPNAT1, regulating SACC dormancy. GNPNAT1 is downregulated in SACC tissues, and its overexpression inhibits cell dormancy and migration/invasion. An injectable, thermosensitive hydrogel designed to deliver antagomiR-455-3p via paclitaxel liposomes formed a Lip@miR hydrogel. This hydrogel "awakened" dormant SACC cells, suppressing their tumorigenic potential and leading to their eradication through sustained paclitaxel release in vivo. This approach presents a new therapeutic strategy for eliminating dormant tumor cells and reducing the risk of post-therapy cancer relapse.