HOTAIR can “sponge” miR-130a-5p to regulate ZEB1 and thus promoting malignant progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, while HOTAIR is regulated by chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 18 (CCL18), which plays an important role in tumor progression and metastasis [71]. Here, HOTAIR is linked to esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.