The Role of Twist1 in Chronic Pancreatitis-Associated Pancreatic Stellate Cells.

In healthy pancreas, pancreatic stellate cells (PaSCs) synthesize the basement membrane, which is mainly composed of type IV collagen and laminin. In chronic pancreatitis (CP), PaSCs are responsible for the production of a rigid extracellular matrix (ECM) that is mainly composed of fibronectin and type I/III collagen. Reactive oxygen species evoke the formation of the rigid ECM by PaSCs.