A study from our Division has uncovered a previously unrecognized consequence of cystic fibrosis (CF): extensive damage to the nerves within the pancreas. The findings suggest that loss of these nerve connections may contribute to the hormone abnormalities that place many individuals with CF at risk for developing cystic fibrosis-related diabetes (CFRD).
The pancreas depends on signals from the nervous system to coordinate the release of hormones that regulate blood sugar and digestion. By examining pancreatic tissue, the investigators found that the nerve content was dramatically reduced and altered when CF was present. Notably, many of the hormone-producing cells of the pancreas remained present and retained the capacity to function, suggesting that disrupted nerve signaling may play an important role in pancreatic hormonal dysfunction in CF. Encouragingly, when early pancreatic injury was prevented through treatment with a CFTR modulator, nerve connections were preserved and hormone responses improved. These findings indicate that some endocrine abnormalities in CF may result not only from damage to hormone-producing cells, but also from disruption of the nerve connections that help regulate their activity.
This research provides important new insight into how CF affects the pancreas and offers a potential new framework for understanding the development of CFRD and other metabolic complications of the disease. The findings have been published in the journal Clinical Science. Division personnel who contributed to the study included Shanming Hu, Dr. Larson Ode, and Dr. Norris who served as the study’s senior author. The study abstract is available on PubMed at this link.
