The dual signal hypothesis of apoptosis holds that a common signal can activate both apoptotic and proliferative pathways. The fate of a cell is dependent on which of these two pathways predominates. In the MAPK family of kinases, ERK and JNK have been proposed to mediate apoptosis whereas the PI3K-stimulated kinase, Akt/PKB, has been shown to inhibit apoptosis. The object of this study was to determine the role of these kinases in a glioma model of apoptosis. We have previously shown that K252a induces apoptosis and inhibits kinase activity. In this study we confirm these results and show that the protein tyrosine phosphatase inhibitor sodium vanadate activates ERK, JNK and Akt/PKB, but does not stimulate proliferation. Vanadate did protect T98G cells from K252a-induced apoptosis, an effect that was abolished by addition of the PI3K inhibitor wortmannin. This suggests that PI3K and Akt/PKB may be responsible for mediating vanadate's protective effect on glioma cells. We conclude that the intracellular balance between protein phosphorylation pathways is a critical determinant of both cell proliferation and cell death.