“New ‘Hibernation Drug’ Based on Animal Mechanisms Could Prevent Organ Failure in Sepsis Patients: Breakthrough Research From UCMG”

2023-04-24 11:26:43

Some animals, such as hamsters, hedgehogs and bears, are able to lower their metabolism, body temperature, respiration and heart rate during winter sleep, protecting them from organ failure. This is because they have mechanisms that keep the mitochondria functioning during extreme conditions.

In sepsis, a life-threatening illness common in the emergency room (ED), the function of mitochondria in humans is disrupted, leading to organ failure.

Organ damage

The new ‘hibernation drug’ that researchers have developed at UCMG is based on molecules that hibernators use to prevent organ damage. Treatment of cells with this drug allows the mitochondria to maintain their function and prevents cell death during extreme hypothermia. The researchers investigated this by placing the cells in the refrigerator.

In mice with sepsis, treatment with the new drug inhibits inflammation and protects against kidney damage.

Safety

Researchers are now testing the new ‘hibernation drug’ under strict conditions and at a low dose for safety in study participants. In about a year’s time, the researchers expect to be able to say whether the new drug indeed proves to be safe.

Sepsis is an impaired immune response to an infection, in which an infection triggers an immune response that can eventually lead to organ failure and death. Death from sepsis results from multi-organ failure. There is currently no treatment that can prevent or cure organ failure due to sepsis.