The Shh signalling pathway affects the EMT, especially during embryonic development and during metastasis in various cancers.28, 30 Self‐renewals in pancreatic cancer stem cells decreased with inhibition of the Shh signalling pathway by sulphoraphane.32 Our results show that certain EMT genes (N‐cad, α‐Sma, vimentin, fibronectin and Tgf‐β1) increased during sphere formation and propagation when Shh was activated by Pur. This evidence concerns the gene CDH2 and familial pancreatic carcinoma.