Additionally, downstream PDPK1 canonical signaling measured by phospho-AKT and phospho-GSK3β (S9) levels was lower in the evolved pancreas cancers compared to pre-cursor ADM and PanIN lesions also raising the possibility of the more involved cancers having become independent of the PDPK1 signaling axis and more driven by signal transduction perturbations of additional pathways acquired during the later stages of pancreas cancer progression [53]. This evidence concerns the gene AKT1 and cancer.