These effects include inhibition of melanoma cell motility, NF-kB and AKT-mediated pro-survival signaling, increased apoptosis, down-modulation of pro-angiogenic signaling and formation of the intratumoral microvasculature de novo, polarization of the intratumoral macrophages to M1 tumoricidal phenotype, and blocking of the ALDH+ cell-dependent melanoma self-renewal mechanism. Here, AKT1 is linked to melanoma.