AKT1 and oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma: Our previous studies suggested that TCRP1 can activate AKT signaling in oral squamous cell carcinoma cells.8 Similarly, we found that the phosphoralation levels of AKT (p-AKT) and PDK1 (p-PDK1) was significantly increased in NIH/3T3/TCRP1 cells, as well as NIH/3T3/TCRP1 primary cells (Figure 3a).