Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 31, 2026
07:30
Design of Cecal Ligation and Puncture and Intranasal Infection Dual Model of Sepsis-Induced Immunosuppression
Published on: June 15, 2019
Broken barriers: a new take on sepsis pathogenesis.
Neil M Goldenberg1, Benjamin E Steinberg, Arthur S Slutsky
1Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, and Keenan Research Center, Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada.
Science Translational Medicine
|June 24, 2011
Summary
Targeting vascular leak in sepsis offers a new therapeutic approach. Strategies to enhance endothelial barrier function could reduce high mortality rates in sepsis patients.
Area of Science:
- Critical care medicine
- Vascular biology
- Pathogenesis of sepsis
Background:
- Sepsis treatment remains largely supportive, with high mortality rates despite extensive research.
- Preclinical models often fail to replicate human sepsis, particularly diffuse microvascular leak and tissue edema.
- Breakdown of endothelial barrier function is increasingly recognized as a critical factor in sepsis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To highlight the endothelial barrier as a novel therapeutic target for sepsis.
- To examine potential strategies for enhancing endothelial barrier function in sepsis.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent compelling evidence on endothelial barrier function in sepsis.
- Identification and examination of three potential therapeutic strategies.
Main Results:
- Preventing vascular leak in sepsis shows promise in reducing mortality.
- Three key strategies for targeting the endothelial barrier are proposed.
Conclusions:
- The endothelial barrier represents a promising new target for sepsis therapeutics.
- Therapeutic strategies should focus on enhancing endothelial junctions, reinforcing the cytoskeleton, and modulating activation.
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