The overexpression of NDRG2 dramatically inhibited the cell viability, colony formation and cell cycle marker protein cyclin B1 and cyclin A2 expression levels, whereas promoted the cell apoptosis and apoptosis-related protein BAX, BCL2 and cleaved caspase3/caspase3 expression levels and cell cycle arrest in G1 phase within ovarian cancer cells. The gene discussed is NDRG2; the disease is ovarian cancer.