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. This evidence concerns the gene VEGFA and neoplasm.