The phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway is involved in the control of cell proliferation and has been shown to be constitutively activated in HCC.14 The PI3K–AKT pathway is inappropriately activated in HCC, and there are several therapeutics that target the PI3K–AKT pathway (dual PI3K–mTOR inhibitors, PI3K inhibitors, AKT inhibitors and mTOR complex catalytic site inhibitors) in clinical development for the treatment of cancer.15 The gene discussed is MTOR; the disease is hepatocellular carcinoma.