We further found that the underlying mechanisms of tumor suppression by ZNF471 in ESCC cells occur at least partially through its regulated target genes, including the key tumor suppressor MAPK10/JNK3, and multiple other genes involved in cell adhesion (PCDH family genes, CLDN1, CNTN1), tumor suppression (TUSC3 and SAMD9L), apoptosis (PYCARD) and immunity regulation (IFNL3), in both KYSE150 and KYSE410 cells. Here, CLDN1 is linked to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.