How faulty cholesterol control in pancreas cells can cause pancreatitis
Official title: Dysregulated cholesterol homeostasis, caused by lysosomal/autophagy dysfunction, mediates pancreatitis
Funded at University of California Los Angeles · NIH-11245716 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores whether problems with cell cleanup in the pancreas lead to cholesterol buildup in pancreas cells and trigger acute pancreatitis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2023 |
| Project end | December 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $354,816 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK131493-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11245716 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People who have had recent acute pancreatitis attacks or are considered at high risk for acute pancreatitis would be the most relevant candidates to benefit or to provide samples.
✕Less likely to help
People without pancreas disease or whose pancreatitis is clearly driven by unrelated causes (for example, obstructing gallstones or heavy alcohol use) may not benefit directly from these findings.
What this research studies
From my perspective as a patient, the team will use lab-grown pancreas cells and mouse models to see how failures in the cell 'cleanup' system (lysosomes and autophagy) change how cholesterol is handled. They will examine human pancreas tissue or clinical data where available to connect those lab findings to people with pancreatitis. The researchers will test whether cholesterol-lowering drugs like statins affect cell damage, mitochondrial stress, and the harmful responses seen in pancreatitis. Together these approaches aim to show whether fixing cholesterol handling in pancreas cells could prevent or lessen pancreatitis attacks.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to cholesterol-focused treatments (including repurposing statins) or new drug targets to prevent or reduce acute pancreatitis.
How similar studies have gone: Previous animal studies link autophagy problems to pancreatitis and some epidemiologic research associates statin use with lower pancreatitis rates, but directly connecting pancreatic cholesterol handling to disease is a newer, less-tested idea.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gukovskaya, Anna S. — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Gukovskaya, Anna S.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.