PTEN negatively regulates the PI3K/AKT pathway through dephosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol (3,4,5)-trisphosphate (PIP3) and eventually participates in the modulation of cell proliferation, migration, invasion, and drug resistance during HCC progression (Jiang et al., 2018; Ohta et al., 2015). Here, AKT1 is linked to hepatocellular carcinoma.