KLF4 Initiates Acinar Cell Reprogramming and Is Essential for the Early Stages of Pancreatic Carcinogenesis.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) has a dismal prognosis and is minimally responsive to current chemotherapies. In this issue of Cancer Cell , Xie et al. (2016) identify the transcription factor KLF4 as essential for the early stages of pancreatic carcinogenesis, expanding the repertoire of targets for early intervention strategies.