AKT1 and Parkinson disease: Both ursocholanic acid and TUDCA have been demonstrated to induce Akt phosphorylation.4 7 Akt activation requires phosphorylation at two sites and promotes cell survival through several mechanisms, failure of activation is a common finding underlying neurodegeneration.4 Reduced Akt signalling has been found in in-vitro models of PD and in sporadic PD brains postmortem in the substantia nigra.8 9