Renalase-based therapy for acute pancreatitis
Official title: Development of a novel renalase agonist for the treatment of acute pancreatitis
Funded at Bessor Pharma, LLC · NIH-11406103 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A new drug approach aims to reduce pain and inflammation for people with acute pancreatitis by using a renalase-like treatment.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Sbir 2 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Bessor Pharma, LLC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Framingham, United States) |
| Project start | September 20, 2016 |
| Project end | August 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,099,995 |
| NIH project number | 5R44DK111251-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11406103 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be patients with acute pancreatitis who are at risk for severe disease or those experiencing significant inflammation.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with mild AP or pancreatitis due to non-inflammatory mechanisms may see limited benefit.
What this research studies
This project explores a novel therapy derived from the protein renalase (RNLS) to lessen the severity of acute pancreatitis, with the goal of improving pain control and organ function. The work includes developing a peptide (BP-1002) that mimics RNLS activity and testing it in preclinical models to see if it can reduce inflammation and tissue damage. If successful, the therapy could shorten hospital stays and lower the risk of severe complications for patients with AP. The focus is on translating a promising lab finding into a potential treatment that patients could eventually receive under clinical study.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, patients with acute pancreatitis may experience less pain, faster recovery, and fewer severe complications.
How similar studies have gone: Previous preclinical work showed RNLS-based approaches can reduce inflammation and tissue injury in pancreatitis models, supporting this line of research.
Where this research is happening
-
Bessor Pharma, LLC
Framingham, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ohlstein, Eliot — Bessor Pharma, LLC
- Study coordinator: Ohlstein, Eliot
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Diabetes after acute pancreatitis: understanding and tracking progression
A patient-focused look at how diabetes can develop after an episode of acute pancreatitis, using data from a large, ongoing study and AI insights.
-
Continuation of Type 1 Diabetes in Acute Pancreatitis: UF Health and AdventHealth
A patient-facing overview of a long-term study tracking people with acute pancreatitis to understand how some develop type 1 diabetes later and what factors influence that process.
-
Data Coordinating Center for Type 1 Diabetes in Acute Pancreatitis Consortium
A national effort to learn how pancreatitis-related Type 1 diabetes develops, by tracking patients and coordinating data to improve future care.
-
Diabetes after acute pancreatitis: a patient-focused network study
A program at Indiana University is studying how diabetes can develop after an acute pancreatitis episode, with new findings that could help doctors tailor care for adults who had pancreatitis.
-
Type 1 Diabetes in Acute Pancreatitis in Diabetes Patients at Stanford
A Stanford-led project helps people with brittle type 1 diabetes who also experience pancreatitis by following them in a long-term study to understand how acute pancreatitis affects diabetes.
-
Epidemiology and causes of diabetes after acute pancreatitis
A long-term study following people who have had acute pancreatitis to understand how often diabetes develops, why it happens, and how it progresses.
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.