AKT1 and hepatocellular carcinoma: Interestingly, some recent studies point out that sorafenib inhibits growth and metastasis of HCC in part by blocking the MEK/ERK/STAT3 and PI3K/Akt/STAT3 signaling pathways [11]; and that sorafenib-induced Tyr705 STAT3 dephosphorylation is mediated by Raf inhibition, as the Raf-inhibitor ZM336372 also results in Tyr705 STAT3 dephosphorylation [34].