Innate immunity in sepsis pathogenesis and its modulation: new immunomodulatory targets revealed

Sepsis is complex clinical manifestation of an organism's overwhelming and unregulated immune response to infection. Despite more than 25 years of extensive research, sepsis and systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) remain the major causes of death in hospital intensive care units (ICUs). The mortality rate associated with sepsis varies from 30% to 70%. Up to now no specific treatment for sepsis exists, so in order to lower mortality rates associated with sepsis, it is important to search for better targets for treatment. The understanding of immunopathogenetic mechanisms involved in sepsis development has provided significant advances in the field of innate immunity, which plays an important role in the onset of sepsis and associated mortality. Not only have the pathways involved in sepsis development been defined but also various targets that can be used as an immunomodulatory approach during sepsis treatment. This review explores the role of innate immunity in the development of sepsis and its modulation as a future immunomodulatory approach for sepsis treatment.