How heavy drinking may increase risk of pancreatic cancer
Official title: Role of Alcohol as a risk factor in the induction of Pancreatic Carcinogenesis
Funded at Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care · NIH-11131075 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers want to find out how heavy alcohol use can change pancreatic cells and raise the chance of pancreatic cancer for people who drink heavily.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Orleans, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2020 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| NIH project number | 5I01BX004513-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11131075 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with a history of heavy alcohol use or diagnosed alcohol use disorder, including veterans, would be the most relevant candidates for related clinical or sample-based participation.
✕Less likely to help
Patients whose pancreatic cancer has no link to alcohol or those seeking immediate treatment for advanced disease are unlikely to directly benefit from this lab-focused work.
What this research studies
This work looks at how long-term alcohol exposure harms normal pancreatic duct cells and may turn them into cancer cells. The team uses human pancreatic cells in the lab to study effects of ethanol, acetaldehyde, inflammation, and cancer stem cell activation. They aim to identify specific genes and pathways that drive alcohol-related cell transformation and tumor progression. Results could help guide future tests to spot higher risk and point to new prevention or treatment strategies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal biomarkers or treatment targets to help prevent or better treat alcohol-related pancreatic cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Previous lab and animal studies have linked alcohol, acetaldehyde, and inflammation to pancreatic injury, but using chronic ethanol exposure to identify specific transforming genes and cancer stem cell effects is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care
New Orleans, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Shankar, Sharmila — Southeast Louisiana Veterans Health Care
- Study coordinator: Shankar, Sharmila
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.