SMAD2 and neoplasm: In conclusion, our findings show that overexpressed ITGA2 inhibits the SMAD2 expression by competitively binding to the transcription factor TFCP2 to block its entry into the nucleus, thus influencing the activation of the TGF-β signaling pathway, promoting tumor cell proliferation, and inhibiting tumor cell apoptosis in pancreatic cancer (Fig. 8h).