title: Analysis of Research Activity in Gastroenterology: Pancreatitis Is in Real Danger.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Biomedical investment trends in 2015 show a huge decrease of investment in gastroenterology. Since academic research usually provides the basis for industrial research and development (R&D), our aim was to understand research trends in the field of gastroenterology over the last 50 years and identify the most endangered areas.
  
  
  METHODS
  We searched for PubMed hits for gastrointestinal (GI) diseases for the 1965-2015 period. Overall, 1,554,325 articles were analyzed. Since pancreatology was identified as the most endangered field of research within gastroenterology, we carried out a detailed evaluation of research activity in pancreatology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In 1965, among the major benign GI disorders, 51.9% of the research was performed on hepatitis, 25.7% on pancreatitis, 21.7% on upper GI diseases and only 0.7% on the lower GI disorders. Half a century later, in 2015, research on hepatitis and upper GI diseases had not changed significantly; however, studies on pancreatitis had dropped to 10.7%, while work on the lower GI disorders had risen to 23.4%. With regard to the malignant disorders (including liver, gastric, colon, pancreatic and oesophageal cancer), no such large-scale changes were observed in the last 50 years. Detailed analyses revealed that besides the drop in research activity in pancreatitis, there are serious problems with the quality of the studies as well. Only 6.8% of clinical trials on pancreatitis were registered and only 5.5% of these registered trials were multicentre and multinational (more than five centres and nations), i.e., the kind that provides the highest level of impact and evidence level.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There has been a clear drop in research activity in pancreatitis. New international networks and far more academic R&D activities should be established in order to find the first therapy specifically for acute pancreatitis.
authors: Institute for Translational Medicine, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.|First Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Szentesi
authors: First Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Emese
authors: E
authors: Tóth
authors: First Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Emese
authors: E
authors: Bálint
authors: First Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Júlia
authors: J
authors: Fanczal
authors: First Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Tamara
authors: T
authors: Madácsy
authors: First Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Dorottya
authors: D
authors: Laczkó
authors: First Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Imre
authors: I
authors: Ignáth
authors: First Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Anita
authors: A
authors: Balázs
authors: First Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Petra
authors: P
authors: Pallagi
authors: First Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: József
authors: J
authors: Maléth
authors: First Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.|Department of Pathophysiology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Zoltán
authors: Z
authors: Rakonczay
authors: First Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Balázs
authors: B
authors: Kui
authors: First Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Dóra
authors: D
authors: Illés
authors: Institute for Translational Medicine, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
authors: Katalin
authors: K
authors: Márta
authors: Institute for Translational Medicine, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
authors: Ágnes
authors: Á
authors: Blaskó
authors: Department of Pediatrics and Pediatric Health Center, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Alexandra
authors: A
authors: Demcsák
authors: Heim Pál Children's Hospital, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Andrea
authors: A
authors: Párniczky
authors: Department of Gastroenterology, First Department of Medicine, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
authors: Gabriella
authors: G
authors: Pár
authors: Department of Translational Medicine, First Department of Medicine, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
authors: Szilárd
authors: S
authors: Gódi
authors: Department of Pediatrics, János Balassa Hospital of County Tolna, Szekszárd, Hungary.
authors: Dóra
authors: D
authors: Mosztbacher
authors: First Department of Surgery, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary.
authors: Ákos
authors: Á
authors: Szücs
authors: First Department of Medicine, St. George University Teaching Hospital of County Fejér, Székesfehérvár, Hungary.
authors: Adrienn
authors: A
authors: Halász
authors: First Department of Medicine, St. George University Teaching Hospital of County Fejér, Székesfehérvár, Hungary.
authors: Ferenc
authors: F
authors: Izbéki
authors: Institute of Bioanalysis, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.
authors: Nelli
authors: N
authors: Farkas
authors: Institute for Translational Medicine, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.|First Department of Medicine, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.|Department of Translational Medicine, First Department of Medicine, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary.|Hungarian Academy of Sciences-University of Szeged, Momentum Gastroenterology Multidisciplinary Research Group, Szeged, Hungary.
authors: Péter
authors: P
authors: Hegyi
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D035843:Biomedical Research; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases; D006801:Humans; D038622:Internationality; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000628:therapy*