CD44 and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: Furthermore, EMT has been associated with cancer stem cells (CSCs), as cells with EMT traits exhibit features of stemness markers such as SOX2, KLF4, and OCT4, as well as higher expression of CSC surface markers CD44, CD24, EpCAM, or CD133 in various cancer types, including pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) [24].