Previous studies using genetically engineered mouse models have demonstrated that oncogenic GTPase KRas (KRAS) mutation is involved in the formation of pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia and promotes the progression of PDAC.
Our results suggest that the abrogation of DUSP6 is associated exclusively with progression from pancreatic intraepithelial neoplasia to the invasive ductal carcinoma while it is potentially associated with initiation of intraductal papillary-mucinous neoplasms with mutated KRAS2, which is independent of other major tumor suppressive pathways in both types of neoplasms.