COX-2 overexpression has been reported to enhance the expression of key oncogenic genes (HB-EGF, Krt23, Pak1, and TNFRSF12A) and signaling cascades (AKT, STK33, and MTOR pathway), which contribute to the initiation and progression of HCC formation (Chen et al., 2017). Here, AKT1 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.