Previous studies have shown that TGF-β stimulation causes the phosphorylation of SMAD 2/3, which then accumulate in nucleus to drive transcription of various target genes (46), including key mesenchymal markers, such as Vimentin (10) and Snail (10, 48) in pancreatic cancer, which regulate EMT by either direct or indirect effect on epithelial cell adhesion marker such as E-cadherin (49). The gene discussed is VIM; the disease is familial pancreatic carcinoma.