Molecular understanding of chronic pancreatitis: a perspective on the future

Despite the recent development of medical imaging technology, chronic pancr eatitis can only be diagnosed when the disease is fully established. This i s due to the lack of specific and sensitive markers for this disease. The d iscovery of mutations in the cationic trypsinogen gene in patients with her editary pancreatitis and a high incidence of mutations in the cystic fibros is transmembrane conductance regulator gene in patients with chronic pancre atitis might be important clues to understanding the molecular mechanisms o f this disease. The interaction between ethanol and ion channels might be t he missing link between alcohol ingestion and chronic pancreatitis.