UK scientists are developing a drug to combat sepsis and ARDS
Sepsis and Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) are among the leading causes of death in hospitalized patients, killing 37,000 in the UK every year. There is no effective treatment for these ailments yet, but a team of scientists are quickly changing that.
The scientists developed SAN101, an anti-inflammatory drug to fight the sepsis. The team developed a nanoparticle that binds to immune cells in the body and inhibits the excessive cycle of inflammation which drives the development of sepsis and ARDS. This new approach has the potential to reduce the impact of sepsis and ARDS in acutely ill patients.
Scientists and clinicians at the School of Pharmacy and the Centre for Infection and Immunity at Queen’s, and colleagues at Trinity College Dublin (TCD) lead the study and their pre-clinical results were published in the journal Science of Translational Medicine.
The research was funded by a major grant from the Medical Research Council awarded in 2012, following initial support from the Public Health Agency (PHA) HSC R&D Division.
Professor Chris Scott from Queen’s School of Pharmacy said: “Through this research we are well on the road to developing a medical treatment for sepsis and ARDS.
“Sepsis arises when the body’s immune system goes into overdrive, setting off a series of reactions including widespread inflammation. This inflammation can lead to a significant decrease in blood pressure, which inhibits blood supply to vital organs and can lead to multiple organ failure.
“A frequent complication of sepsis is ARDS – where the lungs can’t provide enough oxygen for the rest of the body. Up to 25 per cent of patients with severe sepsis will develop ARDS and up to half of these patients will die.
“What we have developed is an anti-inflammatory nanoparticle – a microscopic particle that binds itself to cells called ‘macrophages’, which are often found at the site of an infection. We have found that this nanoparticle essentially blocks inflammation and interrupts the chain of reactions that lead to severe sepsis and ARDS.”
Professor Scott will be presenting the development of SAN101 at the Applied Pharmaceutical Sciences of Great Britain Conference in Nottingham on the September 9.
Category: Features, Pharmaceuticals
