Recent Advancements in the Relationship Between the Autonomic Nervous System and the Pancreas, Encompassing the Regulation of Regeneration and Apoptosis.

A previous review by the author reported relationships between the autonomic nervous system and the pancreas, including regulation of regeneration and apoptosis. This review documents the key clinical and laboratory features that have either been discovered since the previous update (published August 2004) or were characterized earlier but have since been confirmed or expanded in subsequent studies. These advancements regarding regulation of insulin secretion, pancreatic regeneration, apoptosis and carcinogenesis, and gene expression and growth factors provide a deeper understanding of how the autonomic nervous system interacts with the pancreas, offering potential avenues for therapeutic interventions in pancreatic diseases.