Pathogenesis of Sepsis: Bedside-to-Bench

Our laboratory is interested in creating a better understanding of sepsis, a devastating and life-threatening systemic inflammatory response to infection for which no specific therapies currently exist. Aberrant leukocyte activation and endothelial breakdown are thought to be central to the pathogenesis of sepsis, but through ill-defined mechanisms. To address this, we have established a unique ‘bedside-to-bench’ approach for studying clinical samples of human septic blood. These studies are exploring alterations in leukocyte activation, migration, degranulation and formation of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps (NETs), all of which might contribute to endothelial damage. In this way we hope to identify new therapeutic targets and strategies to treat sepsis.