PKD1 protein's role in turning acute pancreatitis into chronic pancreatitis
Official title: Protein Kinase D1 as a switch from acute to chronic pancreatitis
Funded at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville · NIH-11321526 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Seeing if blocking a protein called PKD1 can stop acute pancreatitis from turning into chronic pancreatitis.
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 start | April 1, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $340,388 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DK139604-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11321526 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with recent recurrent acute pancreatitis or early-stage chronic pancreatitis would be the most relevant candidates for future therapies based on these findings, although this project is preclinical and does not currently enroll patients.
✕Less likely to help
People without pancreatitis or those with late-stage irreversible pancreatic scarring are unlikely to receive direct benefit from these preclinical experiments.
What this research studies
This research examines how PKD1 in pancreatic acinar cells changes the local tissue and immune environment in ways that may prevent recovery from acute pancreatitis. The team will use acinar cell–targeted animal models to reproduce acute and chronic disease features such as inflammation, fibrosis, and loss of acinar cells. Investigators will change PKD1 activity in those models to see whether lowering PKD1 reduces the signals that keep inflammation and scarring going. If promising, PKD inhibitors will be tested in living models to determine whether blocking PKD1 can prevent or reverse chronic pancreatic changes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to treatments that prevent acute pancreatitis from progressing to chronic disease, reducing long-term pain, loss of pancreatic function, and cancer risk.
How similar studies have gone: Targeting signaling proteins to reduce inflammation and fibrosis has shown promise in other conditions, but applying PKD1 inhibitors to prevent chronic pancreatitis is relatively new and has not yet been proven in patients.
Where this research is happening
-
Mayo Clinic Jacksonville
Jacksonville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Storz, Peter — Mayo Clinic Jacksonville
- Study coordinator: Storz, Peter
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.
-
Malabsorption Blood Test for Exocrine Pancreatic Function in Chronic Pancreatitis
A blood test (MBT) will help identify people with mild to moderate pancreatic fat malabsorption and show how well enzyme therapy improves their quality of life.
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Chronic Pancreatitis Clinical Research Cohort and Biorepository
A long-term study at UF/Advent Health following adults with acute, relapsing, and chronic pancreatitis to build a detailed group with biospecimens and data for better diagnosis and personalized care.
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Cedars-Sinai Center leads research on chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer
A Cedars-Sinai research center is renewing its program to study chronic pancreatitis, diabetes-related pancreatic disease, and pancreatic cancer so doctors can better understand and treat these conditions.
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UPMC Center for Pancreatitis and Diabetes research program
A specialized center at the University of Pittsburgh is advancing clinical and biological studies of chronic pancreatitis, recurrent acute pancreatitis, and diabetes to improve understanding and care.
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Chronic Pancreatitis Research Network to Understand Symptoms and Find Treatments
This project advances studies of chronic pancreatitis to understand why some people progress and to test new ideas that could diagnose or slow the disease.
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.