Pancreatic Fibrosis in Inflammation and Cancer

Dear Colleagues,

Pancreatic fibrosis is a condition that develops in diseases that affect the pancreas such as pancreatitis and cancer. It can evolve starting from changes in the physiology of cells that normally contribute to the homeostasis of the stroma in the tissue. Cells can be abnormally activated by signals from different origins and then can proliferate and contribute to the deposition of extracellular matrix components. The developed fibrotic tissue can impair the functions of pancreas, both exocrine and endocrine. The consequences may vary depending on the extent of the fibrosis but usually enhance the development of inflammatory or cancerous cells within the gland, being a result of major relevance to human health. Over the past few years, and especially at present, researchers are working on the identification of regulators of pancreatic fibrosis. Nowadays, it is accepted that pancreatic stellate cells (PSC) contribute significantly to these pathogenic processes. Moreover, interrelationship with other cell types of the pancreas, including developing cancer cells, is emerging as potential regulator of PSC pathophysiology. Therefore, the understanding of the cellular and molecular basis of cell-to-cell interconnection is of major relevance to the knowledge of pancreatic disease development and the potential discovery of a cure.

Dr. Antonio Gonzalez
Guest Editor

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