PRKAA1 and cancer: In recent research, the relationship between cancer cell growth and cell metabolism has been emphasized, highlighting the role of AMPK as one of the main players.28 AMPK is a eukaryotic heterotrimeric (α, β and γ) protein kinase activated in response to environmental stresses such as glucose deprivation and hypoxia, which produce changes in cellular ATP levels, resulting in phosphorylation of AMPK at Thr 172.