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Updated: Oct 21, 2026

Isolating and Analyzing Cells of the Pancreas Mesenchyme by Flow Cytometry
Published on: January 28, 2017
Fibroblast growth factor in pancreatic development, homeostasis, and disease
Zhihua Dou1, Yinling Jiang2, Xin Liu2
1Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Xinjiang Clinical Research Center for Diabetes, Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Homeostasis and Regeneration Research, Urumqi, 830001, China; School of Biomedical Engineering, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, 510180, China.
Abstract:
Pancreatic development is a tightly orchestrated process driven by the concerted action of multiple signaling pathways. Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) serve as pivotal cues across its stages: they engage FGF receptors (FGFRs) to activate downstream ERK/MAPK, PI3K-AKT, and PLCγ cascades, thereby governing pancreatic progenitor proliferation, differentiation, and functional maturation. The spatiotemporal expression of FGFs is precisely coupled to developmental milestones and intertwined with Notch, Wnt, and Hedgehog signaling in a complex regulatory network. This review systematically summarizes the molecular architecture and signal transduction of the FGF family, delineates its roles in pancreatic spatiotemporal dynamics, cell-fate determination, and maturation, examines how aberrant FGF signaling contributes to pancreatic cancer, diabetes, and pancreatitis, and reviews current FGF/FGFR-targeted therapies alongside their challenges. Future work must surmount technical bottlenecks and dissect cell-specific FGF mechanisms to underpin precision medicine for pancreatic disorders.
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