Akt activation fully mimics IL-7-induced T-ALL cell growth and cell cycle progression but does not completely recapitulate the effects on cell viability. HPB-ALL cells were stably transduced with retroviral vectors driving the expression of constitutively active, myristoylated-Akt (myrAkt), or empty control (Empty). (A) Transduced, regularly cultured HPB-ALL cells collected for immunoblot analysis of Akt expression (Akt) and PI3K/Akt, JAK/STAT5, and MEK/extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) pathway activation (P-Akt, P-STAT5, and P-ERK1/2, respectively). Starved transduced HPB-ALL cells were stimulated or not with IL-7 (20 ng/mL) and were assessed by flow cytometry analysis of cell growth at 96 hours (B), cell cycle at 72 hours (C) and viability at 96 hours (D).