As AKT/GSK3β/Snail pathway is driven upstream by the cytokine TGFβ (one of the main inducers of EMT) via Smad signalling, we explored the relationship between the AKT/GSK3β/Snail pathway and TGFβ/Smad signalling in HCC cells. The gene discussed is AKT1; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.