The current study found disruption of PD-1 can increase the levels of Akt activation and anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL expression in GPC3-CAR T cells after combating the HCC cells, suggesting that the disruption of PD-1 can protect the GPC3-CAR T cell from exhaustion when combating the native PD-L1-expressing, GPC3-positive HCC. Here, AKT1 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.