Research projects, Cooperation agreements

September 13 is World Sepsis Day. Every year some 75,000 people die from bacterial blood poisoning, or sepsis, in Germany alone. Survivors of sepsis often have to struggle with secondary and concomitant conditions due to resulting impairment of the immune system, the so called “Immunesuppression”. HORIZON EUROPA is funding a new project with around 6,9 million euros, uniting scientists from six countries to study the cellular and molecular mechanisms causing this immune suppression occurring in sepsis survivors. Priv.-Doz. Dr. Marcin Osuchowski and his Sepsis-Trauma-Shock team at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Traumatology, the Research Center in Cooperation with AUVA, represent Austria in the project.
When the immune system is unable to contain an infection, or “overshoots”, and mounts an excessive inflammatory response against an infection, organ and tissue damage can occur. Known as septicemia or sepsis, this phenomenon has grave consequences, including multiple organ failure and potentially fatal septic circulatory shock, if not effectively treated in time. Worldwide, nearly 50 million people suffer from sepsis annually.
Surviving sepsis patients often go on to suffer from a compromised immune system in consequence, leading to secondary illness and impaired health. “The molecular mechanisms that cause immunosuppression are multifaceted, cross-interact and change very dynamically in the course of sepsis. Therefore, a matching dynamic diagnostic fingerprinting is a must to effectively identify and pro-actively care of patients in risk of developing immunosuppression. Such fingerprinting will be a life-saving tool and we aim at developing and bringing it to patients’ bedside” explains Dr. Marcin Osuchowski, who works at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Traumatology (short “LBI Trauma”) in Vienna.
This is the focus of “BEATSep – International Consortium for Sepsis Survivorship”. Scientists from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ireland, Austria, France and Germany have joined to study the long-term immunological impact of septic shock as members of this consortium led by the Cellular and Molecular Immunoregulation (CMI) research team at the International Clinical Research Centre (ICRC) based in the Czech Republic.
The Austrian contribution addresses cellular as well as public communication
LBI Trauma, located at the Traumacenter Vienna Lorenz Böhler, will play a crucial role in the research consortium. LBI Trauma is set to become the core Luminex facility for measurement of soluble biomarkers in the blood of septic patients. Luminex is a sophisticated and highly sensitive laboratory tool that allows researchers to detect and quantify multiple substances in a single sample, similar to how a multifunctional scanner can read different types of barcodes. Within this capacity, LBI Trauma will be screening dozens of cytokine targets, which are important signaling molecules in the immune system. Moreover, LBI Traum will provide their valuable expertise in understanding dynamics of the humoral markers of sepsis in different phases of the condition – a knowledge that is essential for monitoring and diagnosing it accurately.
In addition, LBI Trauma will also take on the vital responsibility of disseminating the project's results. By sharing findings widely and keeping an open dialogue with stakeholders - doctors, healthcare providers, and those involved in developing treatments and interventions for sepsis - LBI Trauma will contribute significantly to maximizing the impact of this research and improving the quality of care for sepsis patients.
For more information visit: https://www.beatsepsis.eu/

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Wissenschaftlicher Ansprechpartner:
Dr. Conny Schneider
Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Traumatology
The Research Center in Cooperation with AUVA
+43 676 6213276
conny.schneider@trauma.lbg.ac.at