Neuropancreatology: The Nervous System and Pain Management in Pancreatic Diseases

Abstract

The intricate network of the pancreatic nervous system plays a fundamental role in physiologic functions of the endocrine and exocrine pancreas. Several pancreatic diseases affect the normal functionality of the pancreatic nervous system. This chronic derangement leads to anatomical alterations, such as neural hypertrophy and increased nerve density. Perineural invasion is a prominent feature of pancreatic cancer, contributing to cancer progression and metastasis. Despite the fact that these pathogenic mechanisms are still incompletely studied and understood, the constant occurrence of these alterations highlights their importance in the pathophysiology of the pancreatic diseases. The occurrence of anatomical changes is strictly linked to the appearance of pain. Pancreatic pain has peculiar features, and its management is complex in clinical practice. In the present review, the evidence on lifestyle, pharmacological and interventional approaches for the management of pancreatic pain is presented. Analgesic therapy is the cornerstone of pain treatment. However, it is important to identify the individual characteristic of the patients and personalize the approach to pain management. Nevertheless, the incomplete efficacy of these strategies makes this field an area of unmet needs. The study of neuroplasticity is crucial to understand the mechanisms that regulate the pathophysiology of pancreatic diseases. Several trials testing new drugs with specific neuromodulatory effects are ongoing. However, further studies are needed to investigate crucial targets to develop novel therapies for the modulation of the nervous system and the prevention of complications of pancreatic diseases. This comprehensive review summarizes the importance of the nervous system in pancreatic diseases with a special focus on its anatomy and physiology, its pathophysiological features and clinical relevance in pancreatic disease, the treatment of pancreatic pain, and the identification of future trends of research.

Keywords: acute pancreatitis; chronic pancreatitis; neural plasticity; neuromodulation; pancreatic cancer; pancreatic nervous system; pancreatic pain; personalized medicine.

Figure 1

Mechanisms of neuroplasticity and neural invasion in pancreatic diseases. Abbreviations: NGF, neural growth factor; BDNF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Created with BioRender.com.

Figure 2

Pathophysiology, mechanisms, and drugs for pancreatic pain. This figure was inspired by and based on the figures in references [87,88]. Abbreviations: CPM, conditioned pain modulation; NSAIDs, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Created with BioRender.com.