AKT1 and neoplasm: mTOR may control the ability of neovascular cells to respond to growth factors.[13, 18] mTOR controls cell growth and cell division in RCC and in cells of the tumor microvasculature, and is often dysregulated in renal cancer by signaling defects upstream of mTOR in the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway.[19] mTOR regulates nutrient uptake and cell metabolism and contributes to the characteristic metabolic changes in RCC.[1]