Elevated HuR in Pancreas Promotes a pancreatitis-like Inflammatory Microenvironment that Facilitates Tumor Development

Gene expression in pancreas of 6 month-old C mice bearing Pdx1/Cre transgene having normal pancreas was compared to that of pancreas of 6 week old TC mice in which HuR protein was specifically overexpressed in the pancreas. We used microarrays to identify gene expression changes associated with HuR overexpression-induced fibro-inflammatory response in the pancreas. Histologic, metabolic, and gene expression Affymetrix analyses of HuR overexpressing pancreas in mice were performed and shown to elicit a fibro-inflammatory reaction characteristic of chronic pancreatitis.