CCN1, correspondingly, was heavily elevated in ESCC (Figures 1(e) and 1(f)), compared to normal esophageal mucosa in which CCN1 was mainly confined to the basal cells and gradually faded away towards the mucosal surface (Figure 1(d)), indicating an involvement in cell proliferation. The gene discussed is CCN1; the disease is esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.