Since the discovery of the cationic trypsinogen gene mutations in patients with hereditary pancreatitis, a variety of pancreatitis-associated gene mutations have been reported, including pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor and cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator. Although the patients with these mutations are rarely seen, genetic disorders inducing pancreatitis have provided us major breakthroughs to understand the molecular basis of the disease. Furthermore, the major stream in pancreatology has been evidenced in patients with hereditary pancreatitis: acute pancreatitis --> chronic pancreatitis --> pancreatic cancer. This report will focus on the pancreatitis-associated genes and the molecular mechanism of pancreatitis associating with these gene mutations.