HMGA1 and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: To validate the finding that HMGA1 modulated the susceptibility of ESCC cells to rapamycin, we conducted experiments involving the silencing or overexpression of HMGA1 and unequivocally demonstrated that the susceptibility of ESCC cells to rapamycin does indeed fluctuate in correspondence with alterations in the expression of HMGA1 (Fig. 2).