IRF7 drives macrophages to kill bacteria and improves septic outcomes via autophagy

Sepsis contributes substantially to mortality rates worldwide, yet clinical trials that have focused on its underlying pathogenesis have failed to demonstrate benefits. Recently, enhancing self-defense has been regarded as an emerging therapeutic approach. Autophagy is a self-defense mechanism that protects septic mice, but its regulatory factor is still unknown. Moreover, the role of interferon regulatory factor 7 (IRF7) in sepsis has been debated. Here, we showed that Irf7 deficiency increased mortality during polymicrobial sepsis. Furthermore, IRF7 drove macrophages to protect against sepsis. Mechanistically, IRF7 is a transcription factor that upregulates the expression of autophagy-related genes responsible for autophagosome formation and autolysosome maturation, induces autophagic killing of bacteria, and ultimately reduces septic organ injury. Recombinant adeno-associated virus 9-Irf7-mediated IRF7 overexpression promoted the autophagic clearance of pathogens and improved sepsis outcomes, which may be the mechanism underlying the observed improvement in bacterial clearance. These findings provide evidence that IRF7 is the underlying regulatory factor that drives autophagy to eliminate pathogens in macrophages during sepsis. Collectively, IRF7 overexpression represents a potential host-directed therapeutic strategy for preclinical sepsis models, operating independently of antibiotic mechanisms.