Exposure to cigarette smoke and nicotine has been shown to increase the levels of α7-nAChRs in several types of non-neuronal cells like human monocytes, keratinocytes, normal lung epithelial cells, and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma tumors (10, 19, 45, 46). Here, CHRNA7 is linked to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.