Progress in understanding the genetic basis of pancreatic disorders has been very rapid in recent years. This issue updates the current knowledge on the molecular basis of pancreatic disorders affecting the endocrine and the exocrine portion of the organ. It is filled with practical information about the unusual as well as the common diseases of the pancreas, with a major focus on inherited forms of diabetes, pancreatitis, and cancer. Clinical and genetic aspects deal with early detection, phenotype-genotype correlation, and treatment. Also new experimental disease models in which the pathophysiology of the respective disorders has been studied are introduced to the reader. Together, this volume represents the most important and up to date information available on new aspects of pancreatic diseases