Pada Panc-1, BMP-4 menginduksi EMT dan peningkatan aktivitas lesi duktular pankreatik serta adenokarsinoma duktular pankreatik.[2] BMP-2, BMP-4 menginduksi MMP-2 dan aktivitas Panc-1, BMP-7 meningkatkan aktivitas tersebut. Pada kasus adenokarsinoma pankreatik, ekspresi BMP-2, BMPR-2 dan ALK3 mRNA menentukan daya tahan pascabedah. Penelitian terakhir menunjukkan peran asam retinoat untuk meredakan simtoma adenokarsinoma tersebut.[3]
Penyebab
Seperti kasus kanker pada umumnya, karsinogen tercetus oleh sinergis banyak faktor antara lain
↑(Inggris)"Pancreatic Cancer". Institute for Genetic Medicine, Departments of Pathology and Oncology, The Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Anirban Maitra dan Ralph H. Hruban. Diakses tanggal 2010-12-08.
↑(Inggris)"On the role of transforming growth factor-β in the growth inhibitory effects of retinoic acid in human pancreatic cancer cells". Department of Surgery and Robert H Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Creighton University, Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, United Arab Emirates University; Brahmchetna Singh, Richard F Murphy, Xian-Zhong Ding, Alexandra B Roginsky, Richard H Bell, Jr, dan Thomas E Adrian. Diakses tanggal 2010-12-08. These results indicate that the amounts of active TGF-β2 generated by the pancreatic cancer cells treated with retinoic acid are capable of mediating its growth inhibitory effects.