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The most important candidate genes for pancreatic stone formation

11-13-2007 · EurekAlert!

Chronic pancreatitis, an inflammatory condition of the pancreas, is usually associated with parenchymal calcification and multiple stones in the pancreatic duct. Lithostathine, a major proteic component of pancreatic stones, is thought to play an important role in stone formation. A research group from India has investigated if mutations in the gene encoding lithostathine (reg1) are responsible for stone formation, using tropical calcific pancreatitis as their model of chronic pancreatitis.

Keywords: important, candidate, genes, pancreatic, stone, formation, gene

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For more information, please contact Ruth Metcalfe in the UCL Media Relations Office on tel: +44 (0)20 7679 9739, mobile: +44 (0)7990 675 947, out of hours: +44 (0)7917 271 364, e-mail: r.metcalfe@ucl.ac.uk2. 'Disruption of methylarginine metabolism impairs vascular homeostasis' is published in the February issue of the journal Nature Medicine. Advance online publication is embargoed to 18.00 GMT (13.00 US Eastern) Sunday 4 February 2007. Journalists can obtain copies of the paper by contacting the UCL Media Relations Office.3. The study was funded by the British Heart Foundation, the Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council. About UCL Founded in 1826, UCL was the first English university established after Oxford and Cambridge, the first to admit students regardless of race, class, religion or gender, and the first to provide systematic teaching of law, architecture and medicine. 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