Thus, the malignant and metastatic phenotype of TGIF1 deficient PDAC could be distinguished from those with TβR2 mutant (reported by Ijichi et al. Genes Dev 2006) by virtue of their pleiotropic tumor promoting effects mediated by different pro-inflammatory cytokines [38], and according to our review of the relevant literatures, this is the first in vivo study to report that TGIF1 ablation in the TGFβ1-Smad pathway promotes the development of PDAC. The gene discussed is TGFB1; the disease is neoplasm.