Since in, cancer cells, AKT/PKB-mediated inactivating phosphorylation of GSK3β contributes to the cytoplasmic stabilization of HIF-1α as well, one can speculate if an APELIN-AKT/PKB-HIF-1α axis forms a feed-forward regulatory loop in hypoxic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stromal cells [48]. This evidence concerns the gene AKT1 and cancer.