Moreover, ligation of TIM-3 and Gal-9 in AML cell lines leads to phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI-3K)/mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway and ERK pathway activation, resulting in hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1α), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and TNF-α production (47). The gene discussed is VEGFA; the disease is acute myeloid leukemia.