To elucidate the action mechanism of echinatin in cancer cells, RNA-seq was performed to screen the differentially expressed genes in echinatin-treated ESCC cells, and IPA analysis suggested that AKT pathway, which has been documented to block autophagy through regulation of mTOR signaling33, may play an important role in the bioactivity of echinatin. This evidence concerns the gene AKT1 and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.