It has been reported that suppression of selenium‑binding protein 1 (SBP1) occurs in many human malignancies which is considered to play an important role in cancer development and progression. Despite its importance in cancer, the function and factors that regulate its expression are not known. Using cell proliferation assays, immunochemical staining and immunoblotting and flow cytometry methods and in a xenograft model, we evaluated the role of SBP1 in proliferation, migration, senescence and chemoresistance of gastric cancer cells (SGC7901 and BGC823) to cisplatin. It was noted that diminished SBP1 expression increased gastric cancer cell proliferation and cell migration and decreased cisplatin-induced apoptosis while its overexpression produced the opposite effects. These results suggest that SBP1 plays a significant role in gastric cancer cell proliferation and modulates its response to anticancer drugs. These results suggest that SBP1 can serve as a potential target to suppress gastric cancer.