The current study revealed that both miR-323a-3p and NEK6 could regulate the cell phenotype by targeting the TGF-β signaling pathway in some diseases, including hepatocellular carcinoma [24], pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma [42], lung fibrosis [40], and cardiac fibrosis [43]. Here, TGFB1 is linked to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.