While we could establish various significant correlations between absolute numbers of selected populations of circulating SCs and SDF-1 levels in healthy individuals [with VSELs (r = 0.34) and HSCs (r = 0.25), P < 0.05 for both], in patients with pancreatic malignancy such associations were not observed, as well as, SDF-1 levels were comparable between patients suffering from resectable, locally advanced and metastatic disease (Table S1). Here, CXCL12 is linked to metastatic neoplasm.