Do neutrophil 'traps' protect or harm newborns with infection?
NETs: Protection or Harm in Neonatal Inflammation and Infection
Researchers aim to find out whether blocking neutrophil 'traps' can lower inflammation and improve survival for newborns with severe infections.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Salt Lake City, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11309124 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Neutrophils can release web‑like NETs that trap microbes but can also cause damaging inflammation in newborn sepsis. In lab and animal models, small NET‑inhibitory peptides (NIPs) reduced tissue injury and improved survival, especially when combined with antibiotics. The team will use human stem‑cell‑derived neutrophils and molecular tools to test whether the enzyme proteinase 3 (PR3) on the neutrophil surface is the receptor NIPs bind to and whether that binding stops NET formation. Finding this pathway could point to treatments that limit harmful inflammation without preventing infection control.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be newborns (neonates) with severe or high‑risk bacterial sepsis treated at hospitals involved in the research.
Not a fit: Older children, adults, or patients whose illness is not driven by NET‑related inflammation are unlikely to benefit from these specific NET‑blocking approaches.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to new therapies that reduce inflammatory damage and deaths in newborns with severe bacterial sepsis.
How similar studies have performed: The investigators have preclinical evidence that NIPs decrease inflammatory injury and improve survival in experimental neonatal sepsis, but human studies have not yet been done.
Where this research is happening
Salt Lake City, United States
- Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah — Salt Lake City, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yost, Christian Con — Utah State Higher Education System--University of Utah
- Study coordinator: Yost, Christian Con
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.