PTEN and cancer: We also discovered that mitochondrial redox state alteration was linked to the activation of the PI3K/ Akt pathway due to PTEN deletion and cancer transformation.8 As p53 influences the PI3K/Akt pathway through activating PTEN, it promotes mitochondrial bioenergetics by activating the expression of synthesis of cytochrome c oxidase 2 (SCO2), and inhibits the glycolysis pathway,3,4,9 we hypothesize that p53 status may also affect the mitochondrial redox state.