How T cells act in newborns, children, and adults with sepsis

T Cell Receptor Mediated T Cell Activation in Neonatal and Pediatric Sepsis

NIH-funded research Feinstein Institute for Medical Research · NIH-11252540

Researchers will look at how immune cells called T cells respond to severe infection in newborns, children, and adults to understand why sepsis affects ages differently.

Quick facts

Grant typeNIH-funded research
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionFeinstein Institute for Medical Research NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Manhasset, United States)
Project IDNIH-11252540 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

This work compares T cell memory and activation across newborns, children, and adults to see how age changes the immune response during sepsis. The team will examine immune cell interactions, including antigen-presenting cells and signals that can amplify inflammation, and will study how angiotensin II signaling affects those interactions. They will use age-based comparisons and patient-derived samples along with laboratory tests to track how T cell activation thresholds change with sepsis and age. The goal is to map immune differences that could explain why sepsis looks and behaves differently in young children versus adults.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates would include newborns, infants, and children with sepsis and adults with sepsis, and may also include age-matched healthy volunteers for comparison.

Not a fit: People without sepsis or whose health problems are unrelated to infection-driven inflammation are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could point to age-tailored ways to prevent or reduce organ damage from sepsis.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has linked immune overactivation and angiotensin II to worse outcomes in sepsis, but applying the idea of T cell memory differences across ages to sepsis is a relatively new approach.

Where this research is happening

Manhasset, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.