In pancreatic cancers, these events have been shown to be mediated by a specific subpopulation of CSCs characterized by CD133 expression, a stemness marker, and CXCR4 overexpression with respect to parenchymal tumor cells; they are localized at the invasive front of the mass, suggesting a role in tumor dissemination due to the expression of CXCR4 and the responsiveness to the specific ligand CXCL12 produced by other cells present in the microenvironment. This evidence concerns the gene CXCL12 and neoplasm.