New Gene is a Key to Fighting Sepsis

Article

Scientists have identified a gene that could potentially open the door for the development of new treatments of the lethal disease sepsis.

Co-author Linda Fitzgerald is shown with a multi-pipettor at the Australian Phenomics Centre. Courtesy of Stuart Hay, ANU

Scientists have identified a gene that could potentially open the door for the development of new treatments of the lethal disease sepsis.

Researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) and the Garvan Institute of Medical Research worked with Genentech, a leading United States biotechnology company, to identify a gene that triggers the inflammatory condition that can lead to the full-body infection sepsis.

"Isolating the gene so quickly was a triumph for the team," says professor Simon Foote, director of the John Curtin School of Medical Research (JCSMR) at ANU.

Sepsis is a severe whole-body infection that kills an estimated 1 million people in the United States alone each year. It occurs as a complication to an existing infection, and if not treated quickly can lead to septic shock and multiple organ failure, with death rates as high as 50 per cent.

Professor Foote acknowledged the vital support of the Australian government's National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy in setting up the Australian Phenomics Facility at JCSMR, where the gene was identified.

Researchers were aware that sepsis occurs when molecules known as lipopolysaccharides (LPS) on the surface of some bacteria infiltrate cells, triggering an immune response that causes the cells to self-destruct. But exactly how the self-destruct button was pressed remained a mystery.

The team found the protein Gasdermin-D plays a critical role in the pathway to sepsis.

Scientists at Genentech showed that Gasdermin-D usually exists in cells in an inactive form. When the LPS molecules enter the cells they trigger an enzyme called caspase-11, a kind of chemical hatchet, to lop the protective chemical cap off Gasdermin-D, which in turn leads the cells to self-destruct.

The team at the Australian Phenomics Facility then screened thousands of genes with a large-scale forward genetics discovery platform and in a little over a year had isolated the gene that produces Gasdermin-D.

Nobuhiko Kayagaki, PhD, senior scientist from Genentech, said the work will help researchers understand and treat other diseases as well as sepsis.

"The identification of Gasdermin-D can give us a better understanding not only of lethal sepsis, but also of multiple other inflammatory diseases," he says.

Professor Chris Goodnow, from ANU and Garvan Institute of Medical Research was a co-author on the research paper, which was published in Nature.

"This finding is a key that could potentially unlock our ability to shutdown this killer disease before it gets to a life-threatening stage," Goodnow adds.

Source: Australian National University
 

Recent Videos
Pathogen Playbook Presenter: Sharon Ward-Fore, BS, MS, MT(ASCP), CIC, FAPIC
Mark Wiencek, PhD
Rebecca Crapanzano-Sigafoos, DrPH, CIC, AL-CIP, FAPIC
The CDC’s updated hospital respiratory reporting requirement has added new layers of responsibility for infection preventionists. Karen Jones, MPH, RN, CIC, FAPIC, clinical program manager at Wolters Kluwer, breaks down what it means and how IPs can adapt.
Studying for the CIC using a digital tablet and computer (Adobe Stock 335828989 by NIKCOA)
Infection Control Today's Conversations with the HSPA President, Arlene Bush, CRCST, CER, CIS, SME, DSMD, CRMST
Infection Control Today's Conversations with the HSPA President, Arlene Bush, CRCST, CER, CIS, SME, DSMD, CRMST
Cheron Rojo, BS, FCS, CHL,  CER, CFER, CRCST
Matthias Tschoerner, Dr Sc
Standardizing Cleaning and Disinfection
Related Content