AKT1 and neoplasm: IL-17 enhances tumor progression through several mechanisms: it activates the PI3K/AKT signaling pathways to stimulate tumor cell proliferation (93), induces the production of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) which degrade the extracellular matrix, facilitating tumor cell invasion and distant metastasis (94), and promotes angiogenesis by stimulating angiogenic factors including VEGF, IL-6, and IL-8 (95, 96).