Furuhashi et al (2001) have reported that Axin facilitates Smad3 activation in the TGFβ signalling pathway. Ishiguro et al (2001) have reported that transcription of AXIN1 upregulated (AXUD1), a gene induced by AXIN1, is independent of the TCF/LEF complex and that AXUD1 is frequently downregulated in some tumours. Oesophageal SCC may be regulated in a similar manner by an unknown pathway. GSK-3β expression was found to have no association with Axin expression or clinicopathologic factors (data not shown). This evidence concerns the gene SMAD3 and neoplasm.