How blood flow links insulin-making islets with the pancreas' digestive tissue
Blood flow crosstalk between the endocrine and exocrine pancreas
This project looks at how blood moves between insulin-making islets and the pancreas' digestive tissue to better understand adult-onset diabetes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Chicago NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11249611 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will map pancreatic blood flow using high-resolution 3D imaging and live tracking of fluorescent-labeled red blood cells in tissue samples and animal models. They will compare vascular connections around islets (insulin-producing clusters) and nearby exocrine cells across human and mammal samples to see whether blood moves both ways. The team will also analyze thick tissue blocks to study vessel structure and which islets directly contact arterioles. Findings aim to explain why small islet clusters sit inside the larger pancreas and how exocrine disease might worsen diabetes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people with adult-onset diabetes or patients who can provide pancreatic tissue samples (for example, during surgery or organ donation).
Not a fit: People seeking immediate treatment changes or those without pancreatic disease are unlikely to receive direct, immediate benefit from this basic science work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal how blood flow links exocrine and endocrine pancreas function and point to new ways to diagnose or treat adult-onset diabetes.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier imaging studies have shown connections between islets and surrounding pancreatic tissue, but the broad bi-directional blood flow idea is relatively new and not yet proven.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- University of Chicago — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hara, Manami — University of Chicago
- Study coordinator: Hara, Manami
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 below.