Vital Research into Pancreatitis
The pancreas is part of the body that is needed for life. It supplies enzymes to digest and absorb food, and
insulin to use energy from sugar. Acute pancreatitis is an extremely painful condition that occurs when
the pancreas starts to digest itself. It is commonly caused by gallstones or alcohol and less often by high
blood levels of fats or calcium (although calcium is one of our targets for effective treatments).
Acute pancreatitis is one of the commonest reasons for emergency admission to hospital. Severe pain is
the main symptom of uncomplicated disease. These patients typically spend one week in hospital. In
addition, one in three patients develops complications. The pancreas and surrounding parts may become
gangrenous and infected. The intestines, lungs, heart and kidneys may fail so that patients need intensive
care. They often need to stay in hospital for many weeks.
Nearly 1000 people in the UK die from acute pancreatitis each year. Many are quite young. Amongst
survivors, return to normal life can be very slow. Enzyme and insulin replacement may be required and
some patients are unable to return to work.
Core considers that pancreatitis is a neglected area of research. No effective treatments are available.
Core has made pancreatitis a top priority as we think real progress can be made. Core pursues every
effort to raise funds to develop a cure for acute pancreatitis. Core funds the only UK clinical research
fellowship in acute pancreatitis. A Research Fellowship was set up in memory of Amelie Waring, who died
from the disease. Its aims are for research into the prevention, diagnosis and cure for necrosis of the
pancreas.
Core funding has led to much progress being made in the search for a treatment. Amelie Waring Research
Fellows in Liverpool have studied calcium, needed to supply of enzymes from the pancreas cells, the units
of life in the pancreas. In the cells there are tiny mitochondria, which normally provide energy for the
work of the cells. In acute pancreatitis calcium builds up in these cells to damaging levels, making the
pancreas inflamed and causing gangrene. The work has shown the mitochondria become overloaded with
calcium and develop a leak so cannot provide the energy needed. So one target is the channel through
which calcium comes into the pancreas cells. A drug that blocks this channel is about to go into human
trials for the very first time.
Another target is the leak that develops in the mitochondria. There are now drugs being designed and
developed to block the leak, still to be tested in human trials. Amelie Waring Research Fellows in Belfast
and Edinburgh have studied ways that organ failure develops in acute pancreatitis. The work has found an
important chemical pathway in the body that increases oxidative stress in acute pancreatitis, and makes
organ failure worse. A key step in the pathway has been found and a drug is in development by
GlaxoSmithKline Ltd to block the key step, soon to be tested in human trials.
Core funded research offers the real possibility of progress to badly needed treatments but
needs to move faster. Your help and support will speed progress to the development of
treatments that will for the first time improve the outlook for patients who continue to suffer
in the UK and globally.