SERPINE1 and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: In primary esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC), cisplatin-treated CAFs secreted high levels of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), which subsequently promoted cancer cell proliferation and protection from cisplatin-induced apoptosis via inhibition of caspase-3 and activation of AKT and ERK1/2 pathways [25].