AKT1 and non-small cell lung carcinoma: Given that phosphorylated STAT3 (p‐STAT3) and AKT (p‐AKT) are frequently dysregulated in proliferating NSCLC cells [19, 20], we also examined their levels and found that USP15 knockdown significantly reduced both p‐STAT3 and p‐AKT expression (Figure 2A).