A study in a pancreatic cancer cell line has suggested that the protein inhibitor specific for HGF activator-1 (HAI-1), an HAI-2 homologue, may activate an EMT programme in these cells by up-regulating the transcription factor SIP-1/ZEB-2 and consequently repressing E-cadherin (Cheng et al, 2009). Here, SPINT1 is linked to familial pancreatic carcinoma.