PIK3CA and cancer: Moreover, the PI3K/AKT/mTOR axis is recognized as a master regulator of growth and metabolism across nearly all mammalian cell types.211 When constitutively activated in cancer, PI3K/AKT/mTOR drives cell proliferation, enhances survival, and fosters metabolic plasticity, which are capabilities that CSCs exploit to persist and repopulate tumors following conventional treatments.212 The sections below provide an overview of each canonical mechanism and highlight their relevance in CSCs.