The pancreatic renin-angiotensin system: does it play a role in endocrine oncology?

The characterization of a local renin-angiotensin system in the pancreas has attracted much attention because of its potential clinical applications. A pancreatic renin-angiotensin system may be present in humans and may interact with islet cells. Nevertheless, our knowledge of the renin-angiotensin system in the human pancreas is still in its infancy, especially in the field of endocrine oncology. Much of our knowledge stems from the study of the pancreas and pancreatic endocrine tumors of rodents. Thus, the direction of future research should be based on in-depth and collaborative efforts between researchers in the various disciplines in order to apply the newly acquired scientific knowledge to the patient.