Intricate interplay between endrocrine and exocrine pancreas

Abstract

The pancreas is a vital organ of the human body that plays a dual role as both endocrine and exocrine organ. The endocrine part of the pancreas is responsible for maintaining blood glucose homeostasis and the exocrine part aids in the digestion of food. The exocrine and the endocrine pancreas mediate their functions by secreting digestive enzymes and islet hormones respectively. It is possible to assess abnormalities in the function of pancreas with assays that detect exocrine and endocrine secretions to assist in predicting pancreatic dysfunction. Although individual assays exist for each of the hormones, it was not the same for the endocrine hormone somatostatin. We have developed a new ELISA assay for the quantification of somatostatin, a pancreatic islet hormone that can be used along with other hormonal assays to examine the pancreatic health. Abnormalities in pancreatic health can be predicted early especially through genetic risk factors, some of the genetic risk factors like Cyclin Dependent Kinase Inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A) are reported to be linked with both diabetes and Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Therefore, evaluating the secretory profile of the pancreas in individuals with these genetic risk factors becomes essential to detect initial signs of disorders like diabetes and pancreatic cancer. Exploiting the secretion assays combined with screening for genetic risk factors might help in understanding the intricate interplay between PDAC and diabetes. Overall, this would help in early detection of pancreatic abnormalities enabling intervention to mitigate risk of diabetes and pancreatic cancer.