HOXB7 and pancreatic neoplasm: Vascular endothelial growth factors, interleukin-8, and angiopoietin-2 can all be upregulated by HOXB7 transduction.[60–62] In a study of patients with pancreatic cancer, HOXB7 mRNA and protein levels increased significantly in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma cell lines and patient tumor samples compared to normal samples.