It is considered to be neuroprotective in that it suppresses neuronal cell death, for instance, by upregulating anti-apoptotic genes in oligodendrocyte progenitor cells exposed to oxidative stress or in a model of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) (Maier et al., 2013; Madsen et al., 2016) and by activating the PI3K-PKB/Akt pathway in a model of Parkinson's Disease (Fischer et al., 2011). The gene discussed is AKT1; the disease is multiple sclerosis.