The results from the xenograft mouse model demonstrated that COL1A1 knockdown significantly inhibited tumor growth in vivo (Fig. 8A-C). The expression of COL1A1 in subcutaneous tumors was markedly reduced (Fig. 8D-E). Western blot analysis of subcutaneous tumors revealed that COL1A1 knockdown led to a decrease in EMT activation and suppression of the PI3K-Akt pathway (Fig. 8E). In the shCOL1A1 group, tumor cells showed a more disorganized arrangement and a looser cellular structure compared to the control group (Figure S5). This evidence concerns the gene AKT1 and neoplasm.