AKT1 and neoplasm: The authors demonstrated that circNRIP1 acted as a miRNA sponge and that its upregulation promoted GC cell proliferation and metastasis in vitro and promoted tumor growth and metastasis in vivo, mediated by the regulation of the miR-149-5p/AKT1 axis and consequently by the AKT/mTOR signaling pathways (responsible for metabolism alterations in gastric cancer) and EMT pathway (a promoter of tumor metastasis).