[HTML][HTML] The pancreatic stellate cell: a star on the rise in pancreatic diseases

MB Omary, A Lugea, AW Lowe… - The Journal of clinical …, 2007 - Am Soc Clin Investig
MB Omary, A Lugea, AW Lowe, SJ Pandol
The Journal of clinical investigation, 2007Am Soc Clin Investig
Pancreatic stellate cells (PaSCs) are myofibroblast-like cells found in the areas of the
pancreas that have exocrine function. PaSCs are regulated by autocrine and paracrine
stimuli and share many features with their hepatic counterparts, studies of which have
helped further our understanding of PaSC biology. Activation of PaSCs induces them to
proliferate, to migrate to sites of tissue damage, to contract and possibly phagocytose, and to
synthesize ECM components to promote tissue repair. Sustained activation of PaSCs has an …
Pancreatic stellate cells (PaSCs) are myofibroblast-like cells found in the areas of the pancreas that have exocrine function. PaSCs are regulated by autocrine and paracrine stimuli and share many features with their hepatic counterparts, studies of which have helped further our understanding of PaSC biology. Activation of PaSCs induces them to proliferate, to migrate to sites of tissue damage, to contract and possibly phagocytose, and to synthesize ECM components to promote tissue repair. Sustained activation of PaSCs has an increasingly appreciated role in the fibrosis that is associated with chronic pancreatitis and with pancreatic cancer. Therefore, understanding the biology of PaSCs offers potential therapeutic targets for the treatment and prevention of these diseases.
The Journal of Clinical Investigation