Published online Feb 6, 2017. doi: 10.4292/wjgpt.v8.i1.10
Peer-review started: June 13, 2016
First decision: July 20, 2016
Revised: July 23, 2016
Accepted: August 15, 2016
Article in press: August 16, 2016
Published online: February 6, 2017
Processing time: 226 Days and 12.5 Hours
Core tip: Pancreatitis is an acute or chronic inflammatory disease of the pancreas and characterized by destruction of acinar cells, which lead activation of several inflammatory cells like macrophages and granulocytes which secrete number of pro-inflammatory cytokines. These pro-inflammatory cytokines activate pancreatic stellate cells, i.e., the key cells of pancreatic fibrosis. Various molecular signaling pathways (i.e., transforming growth factor-β/SMAD, mitogen-activated protein kinases, Rho kinase, Janus kinase/signal transducers and activators, and phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase) are known to have critical role in the activation of pancreatic stellate cells in chronic pancreatitis and development of pancreatic fibrosis that lead to the pancreatic carcinoma.