Elucidating how calcineurin signaling drives pancreatitis and identifying new targets
Official title: Elucidating novel mechanisms for pancreatitis through calcineurin signaling
Funded at Stanford University · NIH-11367438 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This NIH grant looks at how a signaling protein called calcineurin contributes to acute pancreatitis and aims to find new ways to block it so patients have milder symptoms.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Stanford University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Stanford, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2024 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $606,814 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK140433-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11367438 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with or at risk for acute pancreatitis who could benefit from new targeted therapies emerging from this research.
✕Less likely to help
Those with pancreatitis complications not driven by calcineurin signaling or who are not eligible for future targeted trials may see no direct benefit.
What this research studies
People with acute pancreatitis experience severe pain and illness, and current treatments are limited. This project will map the signaling networks that calcineurin controls in pancreatic acinar cells during pancreatitis and use advanced phosphoproteomics and bioinformatics to find CN-driven pathways. It will also study how CN affects mTOR and autophagy processes, which are important for cell health, during pancreatitis. Finally, researchers will test candidate CN substrates to identify potential therapeutic targets for more precise treatment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Identification of new targets could lead to therapies that reduce pancreatitis severity and improve recovery for patients.
How similar studies have gone: Prior phosphoproteomic and signaling studies have revealed meaningful pathways in pancreatitis, supporting a similar approach here.
Where this research is happening
-
Stanford University
Stanford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Husain, Sohail Z — Stanford University
- Study coordinator: Husain, Sohail Z
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Chronic Pancreatitis and Related Conditions Data Center Supports Multi-Center Research
A national effort to organize and share clinical data and biosamples from people with chronic pancreatitis, pancreatogenic diabetes, and pancreatic cancer to speed biomarker discovery and new treatments.
-
Lymphatic roles in pancreatitis and recovery
This project looks at how the lymphatic system influences inflammation and healing in pancreatitis, using mouse models to identify new therapeutic targets.
-
Diabetes after acute pancreatitis: understanding and tracking progression
A patient-focused look at how diabetes can develop after an episode of acute pancreatitis, using data from a large, ongoing study and AI insights.
-
Continuation of Type 1 Diabetes in Acute Pancreatitis: UF Health and AdventHealth
A patient-facing overview of a long-term study tracking people with acute pancreatitis to understand how some develop type 1 diabetes later and what factors influence that process.
-
Data Coordinating Center for Type 1 Diabetes in Acute Pancreatitis Consortium
A national effort to learn how pancreatitis-related Type 1 diabetes develops, by tracking patients and coordinating data to improve future care.
-
Diabetes after acute pancreatitis: a patient-focused network study
A program at Indiana University is studying how diabetes can develop after an acute pancreatitis episode, with new findings that could help doctors tailor care for adults who had pancreatitis.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.