Additionally, the PI3K/Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway is highly activated in colon cancer stem cells and inhibiting this pathway reduces stem cell proliferation or spheroid formation; the stemness is reduced as indicated by decreasing expression of Lgr5, a cancer stem cell marker (Chen et al., 2015). The gene discussed is AKT1; the disease is malignant colon neoplasm.