Matsuo FS, et al. - Researchers enquired regarding the role of AKT, mTOR, and GSK3β proteins in the occurrence of cervical lymph node (CLN) metastasis in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) patients. They analyzed 90 and 18 paraffin-embedded OSCC and oral mucosa samples. A correlation was brought to light between pGSK3βSer9 and CLN metastasis with a poor prognosis. However, only the latter remained an independent prognostic parameter. Kaplan-Meier survival curves demonstrated that pGSK3-Ser9 and CLN metastasis were prominently associated with reduced survival rates. Findings displayed the involvement of AKT and mTOR proteins in OSCC biology. Moreover, it was determined that GSK3β itself could drive CLN metastatic spread of OSCC cells.