NATURAL PROTEIN BREAKTHROUGH OFFERS NEW HOPE FOR SEPSIS PATIENTS

A naturally occurring protein found in the human body could hold the key to reducing deaths from sepsis, one of the world’s leading causes of mortality.

Researchers in Australia say the discovery could mark the first new natural anti-inflammatory treatment in more than 70 years, raising hopes for improved outcomes for patients facing life-threatening infections.

A landmark discovery in sepsis research

The findings, published in the journal Endocrinology, come from a major preclinical study led by the University of Adelaide in partnership with the Central Adelaide Local Health Network.

Scientists found that restoring depleted levels of a protein called corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG) significantly improved survival in an animal model of septic shock.

“The results from our preclinical study were remarkable and show our therapy has the potential to reduce sepsis-related deaths significantly,” said lead author Dr Stewart Ramsay, a Research Fellow from Adelaide University’s School of Medicine.

“This is a huge step forward in the search for a new treatment for sepsis and in particular septic shock, which accounts for more than 20 per cent of all global deaths.”

How the protein works

CBG is produced in the liver and plays an important role in transporting the stress hormone cortisol throughout the bloodstream.

Over more than a decade of research, the Adelaide team has found that low levels of the protein are linked to increased severity of illness and a much higher risk of death among intensive care patients with septic shock at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

“In our most recent preclinical study, we saw marked protection from sepsis progression, with a significant reduction in hypotension and organ damage,” said senior author Associate Professor Richard Young, a Senior Research Fellow at Adelaide University and the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute.

“This suggests that CBG is triggering an anti-inflammatory response unrelated to the protein’s known function in the body, reinforcing our view that it could be the first new, natural anti-inflammatory discovered in more than half a century.”

A global health priority

Sepsis occurs when the body’s immune system overreacts to an infection, leading to widespread inflammation and tissue damage. In severe cases, it can progress to septic shock, causing dangerously low blood pressure and failure of multiple organs.

The World Health Organisation has identified sepsis as a major global health concern, with cases expected to rise due to advances in invasive surgery, the increasing use of implantable medical devices and growing reliance on immunosuppressive treatments.

“Septic shock urgently requires new treatments. Despite the high mortality rate, there have been no new septic shock therapies introduced into clinical practice for decades and the treatments that we do have come with limited success,” said co-author Professor David Torpy, Professor of Medicine at Adelaide University and Head of the Royal Adelaide Hospital’s Endocrine and Metabolic Unit.

“This natural therapy has the potential to save lives in patients with sepsis and septic shock, with minimal toxicity.”

Moving towards human trials

The research team is now preparing for the next phase of development, working alongside commercialisation partners to begin first-in-human clinical trials.

“We are hopeful that this natural therapy has benefits that extend beyond sepsis to patients with severe burn injuries and other conditions where CBG is severely depleted,” said Dr Ramsay.

If successful, the treatment could represent a significant step forward in critical care medicine, offering a new, biologically based approach to managing one of the most complex and deadly medical emergencies worldwide.