AKT1 and cancer: It has been established that the ratio of dihydroceramides/ceramides plays a crucial role in determining the cytotoxicity and autophagic response in cancer cells, with an elevated ratio triggering ER stress and consequent activation of autophagy through upregulation of TRIB3-mediated AKT-mTORC1 axis inhibition (Hernández-Tiedra et al., 2016).