Understanding what causes chronic pancreatitis in children to guide new treatments
Official title: INSPPIRE: Using the natural history of pediatric chronic pancreatitis to identify disease predictors and design therapies
Funded at University of Iowa · NIH-11219273 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project follows children with repeated or chronic pancreatitis to find early signs and risks that could lead to better treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Iowa NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Iowa City, United States) |
| Project start | September 28, 2015 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $635,299 |
| NIH project number | 2U01DK108334-11 |
| Project ID | NIH-11219273 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children and adolescents who have had repeated episodes of acute pancreatitis or who have a diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
Adults with only adult-onset pancreatitis or people without a confirmed pancreatitis diagnosis are unlikely to directly benefit from this pediatric-focused effort.
What this research studies
If your child joins, doctors at pediatric centers in the INSPPIRE network will collect detailed medical histories, imaging, genetic tests, and blood samples over time. We will track symptoms like abdominal pain, hospital visits, pancreatic function, and the development of diabetes or exocrine insufficiency. The project combines information from many centers to spot patterns and biological markers that predict worsening disease. The network also prepares sites and builds the data needed to run future clinical trials of targeted therapies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help doctors identify children at highest risk for complications and enable treatments that prevent pancreatic failure, chronic pain, or diabetes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous INSPPIRE work has identified genetic and anatomic drivers and documented the burden on children, but effective interventions to stop disease progression are not yet established.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Iowa
Iowa City, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Uc, Aliye — University of Iowa
- Study coordinator: Uc, Aliye
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.
-
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.
-
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.