AKT1 and hepatocellular carcinoma: In particular, abnormalities in the expression and function of receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and their downstream signaling pathways, including the Ras/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathways, are critically involved in the proliferation of HCC cells and tumor progression [24,25].