Preventing early pancreas cell changes that lead to pancreatic cancer
Official title: Full Project 3 – Pancreatic ADM
Funded at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical Univ · NIH-11180523 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Trying to reduce early pancreas cell changes called acinar-to-ductal metaplasia in people at risk for pancreatic cancer, such as those with chronic pancreatitis.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Florida Agricultural and Mechanical Univ NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Tallahassee, United States) |
| Project start | September 19, 2018 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $110,556 |
| NIH project number | 5U54CA233396-08 |
| Project ID | NIH-11180523 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants would include people with chronic pancreatitis, patients undergoing pancreatic surgery who can donate tissue, or healthy donors willing to provide pancreatic tissue samples.
✕Less likely to help
People without pancreatic disease or those whose cancer is already advanced are unlikely to benefit directly from this early prevention-focused research.
What this research studies
Researchers will compare healthy donor pancreas tissue, tissue from people with chronic pancreatitis, and tumor samples from pancreatic cancer to track how acinar cells change into duct-like cells (ADM). They will use lab-grown 3-D cell models and analyses of the surrounding tissue environment to identify molecular signals that drive ADM. Much of the work uses patient tissue samples and cell cultures to recreate ADM in the lab so scientists can test what stops or reverses it. The team aims to find targets in the microenvironment that could be used to prevent progression to invasive pancreatic cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify ways to prevent or slow the earliest steps that lead to pancreatic cancer, lowering future risk for high-risk patients.
How similar studies have gone: Prior lab studies have shown differences in ADM using donor tissues, but translating these findings into clinical prevention strategies remains early and largely unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
Florida Agricultural and Mechanical Univ
Tallahassee, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ali, Jamel — Florida Agricultural and Mechanical Univ
- Study coordinator: Ali, Jamel
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.