Studies of mucin 1 (MUC1), a membrane-bound glycoprotein that is expressed by various epithelial cell types, have shown that upregulation of MUC1 favors tumor angiogenesis in non-small-cell lung cancer, likely through the activation of both Akt and ERK1/2 pathways and elevation of VEGF production31, and that MUC1 enhances hypoxia-driven angiogenesis32. The gene discussed is AKT1; the disease is non-small cell lung carcinoma.