Feinstein Institutes Researchers Discover a Molecule to Clear Invading Bacteria in Septic Patients

The one from Dr. Ping Wang-led sepsis study was recently published in Springer Nature’s Cellular and Molecular Immunology

MANHASSET, NY, Jan. 6, 2023–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sepsis often leads to shock and multiple organ failure, making it a leading cause of in-hospital deaths worldwide. While much of the mystery surrounding sepsis remains, scientists at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research in Cellular & Molecular Immunology published the discovery of a protein that inhibits the body’s ability to clear bacteria, opening new avenues of therapeutic research.

This press release is multimedia. View the full press release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230106005364/en/

The one from Dr. Research led by Ping Wang is investigating how the extracellular cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (eCIRP) – an alarm molecule released during sepsis – causes the immune system to malfunction. (Credit Feinstein Institute)

The new study investigates how extracellular cold-inducible RNA-binding protein (eCIRP) – an alarm molecule released during sepsis – causes immune system dysfunction. Specifically, eCIRP disrupts the cells within the immune system that take in bacteria and secrete both pro-inflammatory and antimicrobial mediators called macrophages. Macrophages play an important role in clearing invading bacteria and damaged or dead cells from the body; However, new research shows how eCIRP dysregulates its normal function and contributes to the progression of sepsis.

The research, led by Ping Wang, MD, Feinstein Institutes, explains how eCIRP disrupts the cytoskeleton – the structure that forms a cell – in laboratory mice, ultimately leading to impaired bacterial macrophage digestion during sepsis. Conversely, mice treated with eCIRP-deficient or eCIRP-neutralizing antibodies restored macrophage function and reduced bacterial load. In fact, the mice without eCIRP proteins showed better survival results.

“There is no single specific treatment for patients with sepsis and it remains an enigmatic disease for researchers worldwide,” said Dr. Wang, Professor and Chief Scientific Officer at the Feinstein Institutes. “By reducing eCIRP molecules, we can reduce bacterial counts in septic patients and improve their outcome. This new information opens new research avenues for effective therapies.”

The story goes on

Sepsis affects at least 1.7 million Americans annually, resulting in the deaths of 270,000 patients and accounting for 30 percent of all hospital deaths. Sepsis occurs when the body’s immune system triggers inflammation to fight infection. When this inflammatory response gets out of control, it can damage multiple organ systems, often leading to death. Septic patients often exhibit the co-occurrence of pro- and anti-inflammatory signaling pathways, which can result in them suffering from immunosuppression, an inability to eradicate invading bacteria, and eventually becoming susceptible to secondary infections. Macrophages clear pathogens in the body, but during sepsis, the bacterial phagocytic ability of macrophages is impaired. This leads to bacterial overgrowth, which can ultimately lead to tissue injury and death.

The study suggests that new therapies for sepsis could be made available based on these results. Currently, targeting sepsis-induced immunosuppression is one of the most prominent therapeutic directions being explored. Correcting the function of macrophages to efficiently clear pathogens could be an important therapeutic strategy to protect patients from sepsis. It could also offer a new therapeutic avenue to restore host defenses against pathogens to improve the outcomes of sepsis and potentially other inflammatory diseases.

“Sepsis affects millions of people annually, and effective therapies are needed,” said Kevin J. Tracey, MD, President and CEO of the Feinstein Institutes. “The discoveries of Dr. Wang and his lab are paving the way to explore new mechanisms that could one day lead to new treatments.”

The Feinstein Institutes continue to spearhead research examining the molecular mechanisms of sepsis to develop treatments. Recently received Dr. Wang and co-principal investigators $3.8 million from National Institutes of Health to study sepsis and radiation exposure.

About the Feinstein Institutes
The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research is home to the research institutes of Northwell Health, the largest healthcare provider and private employer in New York State. With 50 research laboratories, 3,000 clinical research studies, and 5,000 researchers and staff, the Feinstein Institutes raise the standard of medical innovation through its five institutes in Behavioral Sciences, Bioelectronic Medicine, Cancer, Health Systems Science, and Molecular Medicine. We make breakthroughs in genetics, oncology, brain research, mental health, autoimmunity and are a global scientific leader in bioelectronic medicine – an emerging field of science that has the potential to revolutionize medicine. For more information on how we produce knowledge to cure disease, visit http://feinstein.northwell.edu and follow us on LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230106005364/en/

contacts

Julianne Mosher Allen
516-880-4824
[email protected]