PDK1 and cancer: According to the current perception of the causes and consequences of the Warburg effect, PI3K/Akt/mTOR are the main signaling pathways that, in concert with the transcription factors HIF-1, p53, and c-Myc, modulate the activity/expression of key regulatory enzymes, including PKM2, and PDK1 to tune in the most optimal metabolic setting for the cancer cell.