The lack of nutrient gradients despite the high cell densities on day 29 of PANC-1 scaffold culture was verified since the LC3 autophagic marker (Fig. 4b and c), a marker which is mainly upregulated under starvation conditions, was not expressed.85 Nevertheless, local hypoxic areas were present mainly where dense overpopulated masses exist, mimicking the low oxygen levels that naturally occur within the pancreatic tumour (Fig. 4a). This evidence concerns the gene MAP1LC3A and pancreatic neoplasm.