NOTCH1 and lung cancer: Western blotting analysis further confirmed that Notch1 protein levels were significantly decreased in the experimental group, while the expression of p-PTEN and total PTEN proteins was increased, and p-Akt levels were reduced, indicating that the Notch1 pathway modulates the tumor suppressor gene PTEN through cross-regulation with the PI3K/AKT pathway, thereby affecting the biological function of lung cancer cells (Li W. et al., 2017).