Pancreatic cancer is a highly malignant cancer associated with high expression levels of sonic hedgehog signaling molecule (Shh), patched 1 (Ptch1), smoothened frizzled class receptor (Smo) and glioma-associated oncogene family zinc finger 1 (Gli1) in the hedgehog (Hh) signaling pathway.
Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that patched homolog 1 (PTCH1), both a receptor for and transcriptional target of hedgehog signaling, was expressed in a small fraction of endothelial cells within pancreatic cancer, but not in normal pancreatic tissue.
Because aberrant expressions of PTCH and Smo were common in human pancreatic carcinoma tissues and were associated with the low-level differentiation of tumor tissue and hyperglycemia, this indicated that these molecules played a fundamental role in pancreas tumorigenesis and were regarded as new targets for diagnosis and treatment of human pancreatic cancer.