AKT1 and hepatocellular carcinoma: HCC is associated with aberrant activities of several signaling pathways such as Wnt/β-catenin, PI3K/AKT/GSK-3β, MAPK/ERK, TGFß/BMP, mTOR, and Stat3, as well as mutations in p53, K-Ras, c-Myc, HBx, p16INK4A, APC, BRCA2, CDK2, cyclin E1, cyclin D, cyclin A and p38γ genes [4–10].