Pancreatic stellate cell: Pandora's box for pancreatic disease biology

Figure 2 Fate of activated pancreatic stellate cells. The fate of activated pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) could be potentially two pronged-sustained inflammation and/or autocrine mode of PSC activation may perpetuate its activated phenotype, even in the absence of its paracrine triggers, resulting in the development of pancreatic fibrosis or PSCs might undergo either reversion to quiescent phenotype or apoptosis or may become senescent and further cleared by lymphocytes. In the latter situation, there should not be fibrosis.