AKT1 and cancer: This elevation of activated ZIP7 was further confirmed by the increased intracellular available zinc levels observed which was consistent with our previous data showing increased zinc in TamR cells8 in conjunction with a raised expression of ZIP7.31 We also showed how the increased level of activated ZIP7 is consistent with activation of AKT in the TamR cells, a major downstream target of ZIP7-mediated zinc signalling17 and a molecule with a known role in cancer progression.33