AKT1 and disease of the tendon: Considering the close relationship between cholesterol and tendinopathy and the pivotal role of TDSCs in the pathobiology of tendinopathy, we attempted to evaluate whether cholesterol induces apoptosis and autophagy in TDSCs and investigated the underlying mechanisms, of the induction of apoptosis and autophagy through the ROS-mediated AKT/FOXO1 pathway.