The main research area of the Gastrointestinal Research Team is the investigation of the pathophysiology of acute pancreatitis in different experimental animal models. The acute pancreatitis is a sudden inflammation of the pancreas which can follow mild or severe course. Unfortunately, the latter form still has an unacceptably high mortality. The reason for this is, at least in part, that the pathomechanism of acute pancreatitis is unclear and we are lacking specific treatment of the disease. Hence, our group makes efforts to determine the roles of various inflammatory factors and the mitochondria in the development of the acute pancreatitis. Further, in our experiments special emphasis is placed on the characterisation of the pathophysiological activity of pancreatic ductal cells, which have recently been identified as major contributors to the etiopathogenesis of acute pancreatitis. Several important observations were made by us related to endogenous factors which participate in the inflammatory processes (e.g. Interleukins, TNF-α, NF-kB, reactive oxygen species) and to compounds, which have anti-inflammatory properties (kynurenic acid, SZR-72, DMTS, etc.). We also carry out physiological and pathophysiological examinations on isolated pancreatic ducts derived from primary tissues (guinea pig, mouse, rat, human) and on human ductal cell lines. Recently, we have been involved in meta-analyses with the assistance of the Institute for Translational Medicine, University of Pécs. Our hope is to eventually open up new therapeutic possibilities in the acute pancreatitis.

Our main collaboration partners are Péter Hegyi (University of Pécs, Institute for Translational Medicine), József Maléth and Petra Pallagi (University of Szeged, 1^st Department of Internal Medicine), and Viktoria Venglovecz (University of Szeged, Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacotherapy).

The Gastrointestinal Research Team at SZTE ÁOK Department of Pathophysiology (Persons, back row, from left to right: Prof. Zoltán Rakonczay, Judit Ficzere, Erzsébet Dallos-Szilágyi, Zsolt Balla; front row, from left to right: Dr. Lóránd Kiss, Gabriella Fűr, Emese Réka Bálint, Dr. Eszter Sára Kormányos)