The molecular steps involved in T-ALL pathogenesis encompass: transcriptional deregulation of oncogenes/oncosuppressors, NOTCH1 signaling, cell cycle deregulation, kinase signaling (including IL7R-JAK-STAT pathway, PI3K/AKT/mTOR pathway, RAS/MAPK signaling pathway, ABL1 signaling pathway), epigenetic deregulation, ribosomal dysfunction, and altered expression of oncogenic miRNAs or long non coding RNA (34) (Figure 1). The gene discussed is AKT1; the disease is acute lymphoblastic leukemia.