HMOX1 and breast cancer: PI3K/Akt signalling pathway is one of the major upstream cellular signals in breast cancer cells.2 Zhong et al found that endoplasmic reticulum stress activation could promote breast cancer cell autophagy and apoptosis and enhance chemosensitivity of MCF‐7 cells by inhibiting the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway.19 In current study, we found the HO‐1 up‐regulated by p‐Akt promoted autophagy and pharmorubicin resistance.