Lastly, we demonstrated that TSPAN1 promoted integrin α6β1 downstream phosphoinositide-3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT/glycogen synthase kinase (GSK)-3β/snail family transcriptional repressor (Snail)/phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) feedback loop, which is responsible for the EMT of CCA. Here, AKT1 is linked to cholangiocarcinoma.