AKT1 and neoplasm: During carcinogenesis, high levels of ROS, increased by both tumor-associated and environmental factors, enhance metastasis by the activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR and MAPK signaling pathways which, in turn, lead to the downstream activation of SNAIL, MMP-2, and MMP-9 enzymes, promoting the transition from an epithelial to a mesenchymal state, known as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT).