found that miR-20b can directly bind to the 3’ untranslated region (UTR) of the phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) mRNA and suppress its translation, thereby promoting growth and metastasis of breast cancer cells (23); and the mechanism by which miR-20b directly regulates PTEN to promote cell proliferation, migration and invasion has also been found in liver, prostate, and esophageal cancers (24–26). The gene discussed is PTEN; the disease is esophageal cancer.