Exocrine pancreatic cell types comprise greater than 90% of parenchymal cell mass in the
adult pancreas. However, the factors regulating differentiation of acinar and ductal epithelial
cells remain incompletely characterized. Like pancreatic islet cells, acinar and ductal cells
arise from pluripotent precursors within embryonic pancreatic epithelium. Recent studies
have suggested that a common pool of pluripotent stem cells is responsible for generating
both endocrine and exocrine cell types, and that specific signaling pathways regulate a …