AKT1 and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: One study indicated that overexpression of ALDH1A1 could maintain the cancer stem-like cells characteristics of ESCC and enhance the levels of Akt1, p-Akt (T308), p-Akt(S473) and β-catenin by activating the Akt signal pathway and binding with β-catenin (58).