Interestingly, the silencing of HMGA1 in the syngeneic tumors exhibited a greater inhibition of esophageal cancer growth (Fig. 7A, B) compared to HMGA1 silencing in cells cultured (Fig. 2A), implying that HMGA1 acts as a more potent oncogene (tumor promoter) in the tumor microenvironment in vivo. The gene discussed is HMGA1; the disease is esophageal cancer.