PTEN and neoplasm: Increased AKT activity promotes glycolysis through multiple mechanisms, including upregulated glucose transport65, 66 and increased hexokinase activity.67, 68 Conversely, PTEN can promote oxidative phosphorylation and reduce glycolysis,69 suggesting that tumor cells harboring loss of or reduced PTEN expression will have markedly differing metabolic profiles to cells without PTEN loss.