Sam68 affects cell proliferation and apoptosis of human adult T-acute lymphoblastic leukemia cells via AKT/mTOR signal pathway.

•Sam68 was upregulated in adult T-ALL patients’ samples and T cells.•Sam68 knockdown impaired proliferation, induced apoptosis and cycle arrest in T-ALL cells.•Sam68 knockdown downregulated CDK2, Bcl-xl and upregulated p21, Bad, cleaved caspase-9, caspase-3, PARP.•Sam68 knockdown associated with changes in AKT/mTOR signaling pathway.•Sam68 expression restoration reverted the above effects.