TGFB1 and cancer: PSCs are activated upon interaction with cancer cells via autocrine and paracrine signaling, including transforming growth factor (TGF)-β/phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT, extracellular signal-regulated kinases (ERK), KRAS (main oncogene in PDAC)/plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)1, and ZEB1 [4–8].