How specific dietary fats affect pancreatic cancer
Dietary fatty acids drive pancreatic cancer development
This work looks at whether certain fats in the diet—especially oleic acid—can make pancreatic cancer more likely or grow faster.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Yale University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New Haven, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11211078 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's view, the team is using carefully matched high‑fat diets that differ only by fat type to see which fats change the pancreas in ways that encourage tumors. They use a genetic mouse model that mimics how human pancreatic cancer develops and compare tissue fats and tumor outcomes across diets. The researchers also measure how oleic acid gets built into cell membrane fats in the pancreas to find possible biological links to tumor growth. Ultimately they want to translate those findings into advice or targets that could reduce diet‑related risk.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people at higher risk for pancreatic cancer or those willing to provide tissue samples, blood, or dietary information, such as individuals with obesity, family history, or known genetic risk.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer or those with unrelated health conditions are unlikely to get direct clinical benefit from this basic/translational research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could identify specific dietary fats that raise pancreatic cancer risk and point to prevention strategies or new treatment targets.
How similar studies have performed: Prior human and animal research has linked obesity and high‑fat diets to worse pancreatic cancer outcomes, but tying specific fats like oleic acid to tumor promotion is a more recent and less-tested direction.
Where this research is happening
New Haven, United States
- Yale University — New Haven, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Muzumdar, Mandar Deepak — Yale University
- Study coordinator: Muzumdar, Mandar Deepak
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.