The levels of phosphorylated mTOR significantly increased in ESCC cells with over-expression of DAZAP1 (Figure 6B), which is congruent with the previous notion that activated TSC2 reduces the small GAP activity of RHEB and, thus, inhibits mTOR as well as oncogenic autophagy 41,43. This evidence concerns the gene DAZAP1 and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.