VIM and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: By means of qRT-PCR and western blotting assays, it was showed that both silencing of miR-31 and LATS2 overexpression in ESCC cells induced the expression of epithelial markers (E-cadherin and β-catenin) that was elevated by a concomitant decreased of mesenchymal markers (vimentin and N-cadherin) (Figs. 5b, c and 6a, b).