The silencing of HPRT1 resulted in significant inhibition of the proliferation of KYSE-30 and KYSE-450 cells (p < 0.01; Fig. 5A), whereas its overexpression significantly increased the proliferation of ESCC cells (p < 0.01; Supplementary Fig. 9A). This evidence concerns the gene HPRT1 and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.