<p>AKR1Cs, as a reductase enzyme family, play a pro-carcinogenic role in various types of cancers, including hormone-related malignancies and non-hormonal tumors. However, there exists a notable scarcity of literature concerning AKR1Cs expression in pancreatic cancer and the subsequent impacts on its progression. Analyzing pancreatic cancer database information by employing advanced bioinformatics techniques to unravel AKR1Cs’ intricate involvement in cancer malignancy, their correlation with clinical pathology, prognostic implications, as well as their responsiveness to conventional and immune-based therapies. Furthermore, the role of AKR1C1 in promoting the malignant progression of pancreatic cancer cell lines was validated using cell proliferation assays (EdU labeling and colony formation), and cell migration and invasion experiments including scratch wound healing and Transwell migration/invasion assays. AKR1Cs are not only significantly overexpressed in pancreatic cancer, but also closely associated with poor clinical grading, clinical chemoresistance and poor immune response in pancreatic cancer.Moreover, regulating the expression of AKR1C1 in pancreatic cancer cells will affect its proliferation, migration, invasion and the occurrence of epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT). Our findings are expected to establish AKR1Cs, especially AKR1C1 as a promising therapeutic target for the clinical treatment of pancreatic cancer.</p>