Overexpression of ADAM23 suppressed tumorigenesis and promoted ferroptosis in esophageal carcinoma cells. (a) Relative expression of ARHGEF26-AS1, miR-372-3p, and ADAM23 in ESCC cells; ∗p < 0.05; (b) Western blot results showing the expression of the ADAM23, GPX4, SLC7A11, and SLC3A2 proteins in TE-1 cells from the NC, EV, ADAM23-OE, shADMA23-1, and shADAM23-2 groups; ∗p < 0.05; (c) real-time PCR results showing the mRNA expression levels of ADAM23, GPX4, SLC3A2, and SLC7A11 in TE-1 cells following the overexpression and silencing of ADAM23. ∗p < 0.05; (d) the effect ADAM23 on cell proliferation, assessed through the CCK-8 assay. ∗p < 0.05; (e) cell viability and (f) cell death measured in subgroups with different levels of ADAM23 expression ∗p < 0.05; (g) proliferation and migration of TE-1 cells assessed through the wound healing assay. ∗p < 0.05.