STK11 and cancer: In fact, besides its traditional role as a tumor suppressor, LKB1 was found to promote cancer through the AKT-FoxO3a pathway.13,14 It is possible that introducing JOSD2 exogenously and restoring LKB1 in NCI-H460 cells - which lack LKB1 but have overactivated AKT15,16-might stimulate more aggressive tumor growth.