A NEW drug could help prevent sepsis-related organ failure and death by restoring the health of blood vessels, according to researchers from the University of Queensland (UQ) and the Queensland Children's Hospital (QCH).
Dr Mark Coulthard, from UQ and the QCH's Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, revealed that the first-in-class drug had been successfully tested on mice, with promising results also seen in pre-clinical testing using human blood samples.
Prof Trent Woodruff, from UQ's School of Biomedical Sciences, said that the new approach tackled an underlying cause of organ failure, unlike previous attempts that focused mainly on the immune response.
Despite significant investment and over 100 clinical trials, sepsis remains challenging to treat, earning it the nickname 'graveyard for the drug companies', noted Prof Woodruff.
Dr Coulthard expressed optimism, citing changes in biomarkers similar to mouse studies in blood samples from 91 hospitalised children, suggesting the drug's potential effectiveness in humans.
He added more testing in other animal models is needed.
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