Looking inside the inflamed pancreas with live imaging
Deciphering Pancreatitis Microenvironment through Intravital Imaging
Researchers are testing whether blocking blood-clotting signals and an enzyme called trypsin can reduce damage in acute pancreatitis using advanced live imaging in mice.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Mayo Clinic Jacksonville NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Jacksonville, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11322051 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From my perspective as a patient, this project uses specially engineered mice that lack trypsin or thrombin to learn how these proteins drive pancreatic injury. Scientists will use multiphoton intravital (live) imaging to watch inflammation, blood flow, and clotting in the pancreas in real time. They will give drugs that block thrombin and PAR receptors and compare effects in genetic mouse models like PAR1 knockouts. The team will also work on better ways to deliver drugs into the inflamed pancreas.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This is preclinical laboratory research in mice, so there are no human enrollment criteria and patients are not being recruited.
Not a fit: People with pancreatitis will not receive direct treatment or benefit from this grant while the work is limited to animal models and lab imaging.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new drug targets or delivery methods that reduce inflammation and organ damage in acute pancreatitis.
How similar studies have performed: Prior animal studies suggest thrombin-targeting approaches showed promising protection compared with selective trypsin inhibitors, but human clinical testing is limited.
Where this research is happening
Jacksonville, United States
- Mayo Clinic Jacksonville — Jacksonville, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bi, Yan — Mayo Clinic Jacksonville
- Study coordinator: Bi, Yan
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.