Given that PTEN, a well-known suppressor of PI3K/AKT signaling [12], was notably upregulated in TUBA4B-overexpressing MGC-803 cells (Fig. 3a), we thus inferred that TUBA4B was able to dampen PI3K/AKT signaling via elevating PTEN, leading to inhibiting GC progression. Here, AKT1 is linked to gastric cancer.