Our results indicate that inhibition of cell proliferation by ectopic expression of ZNF382 in ESCC cells might be through G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis, accompanied by reduced of Cdc25C, Cdc2 and CyclinB1 checkpoint regulators and induced cleavage of apoptotic markers caspase8, caspase3 and PARP. Here, CDC25C is linked to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.