Inhibiting ADAM17 for pancreatitis

Inhibiting the metalloproteinase ADAM17 could help treat pancreatitis by decreasing inflammatory cell infiltration and acinar cell death in the pancreas. In pancreatic biopsies, ADAM17 protein levels were higher in acinar epithelial cells from pancreatitis patients than from healthy controls.

In a chemically induced mouse model of acute pancreatitis, homozygous expression of a hypomorphic ADAM17 allele improved histopathological scoring of pancreatic tissues and decreased immune cell infiltration, necrotic acinar cells, and edema compared with normal ADAM17 expression. In a mouse model of cigarette smoke carcinogen-induced pancreatic inflammation, homozygous expression of the hypomorphic ADAM17 allele decreased disease severity score, edema, and inflammatory infiltration in pancreatic tissue. ...