AKT1 and nasopharyngeal carcinoma: EBV-miR-BART7-3p also targeted the human tumor suppressor PTEN, modulating PI3-K/Akt/GSK-3β signaling and eventually leading to high expression and nuclear accumulation of Snail and β-catenin, which favor EMT.279 Cai et al.280 identified SMAD7 as a novel target gene of EBV-miR-BART7-3p in addition to the PTEN gene that was previously reported; and this viral miRNA suppressed SMAD7, leading to activation of TGF-β signaling and eventually enhanced the stemness of NPC cells.