A role for Akt in berberine-stimulated cell lines is previously demonstrated by the data indicating that berberine inhibited the metastatic potential of breast cancer cells via Akt pathway modulation 32, and that berberine might induce autophagic cell death in HepG2 and MHCC97-L cells through activation of Beclin-1 and inhibition of the mTOR-signalling pathway by suppressing the activity of Akt and up-regulating p38 MAPK signalling 33. The gene discussed is BECN1; the disease is breast cancer.