New Approach to Preventing Fatal Septic Shock

[TECH NEWS]

Researchers of VIB (Flanders Institute of Biotechnology, Belgium) and UGent have discovered a new approach to preventing septic shock, an often fatal extreme inflammatory reaction of the body. It is the most frequent cause of death at intensive care departments in hospitals. In sepsis, acute inflammation is attended by low blood pressure and blood clots, causing the organs to stop working. Only recently, the Brazilian football legend Socrates, died of the consequences of this condition. In a new study in the top journal Immunity, Peter Vandenabeele and colleagues of VIB-UGent described how blocking a particular form of cell death (necroptosis) fully protects mice against this fatal inflammation. “This research opens up new perspectives for the treatment of fatal inflammatory diseases such as sepsis,” says researcher Peter Vandenabeele of VIB and UGent. “By blocking necroptosis, we have found a possibly new target for a therapy.” The Ghent scientists studied the Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS). This is a severe inflammatory reaction affecting the entire body. It may be caused by an infection, such as sepsis, or by physical injury such as severe burns or a serious road accident.

Dec 27, 2011, VIB