Despite that the causes of drug resistance in these cell lines are different, the PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling is overactivated in all three cell lines, which is consistent with the findings reported by other groups.10, 12 Indeed, this crucial survival pathway promotes acquired resistance in a wide range of cancers, such as breast cancer, leukemia, ovarian cancer and non-small-cell lung carcinoma.39, 40, 41 Hence, novel therapeutics against this PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathway may offer new strategies to overcome drug resistance. Here, AKT1 is linked to leukemia.