Immune reactions that drive sepsis and organ injury
Official title: Host Immunity in Sepsis-Induced Systemic Infection
Funded at Louisiana State Univ A&m Col Baton Rouge · NIH-11324173 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This research aims to find ways to limit lung and organ damage in people with sepsis by studying how innate immune responses, like inflammasomes, cause inflammation.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Louisiana State Univ A&m Col Baton Rouge NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baton Rouge, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2021 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $426,770 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AI157353-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11324173 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Patients with sepsis—especially those with abdominal (peritoneal) infections or who develop acute lung injury or ARDS—would be most relevant for this research.
✕Less likely to help
People with non-infectious causes of lung injury or chronic lung diseases unrelated to acute sepsis are unlikely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
Researchers are studying how first-line immune responses, including neutrophils and inflammasomes that activate caspase-1, respond when bacterial infections in the abdomen lead to sepsis and spread to the lungs. They focus on how excessive neutrophil recruitment and inflammasome signaling cause acute lung injury and ARDS, using laboratory models and analyses tied to human biology. The team is exploring host-targeted strategies that could protect organs even when bacteria are drug-resistant. Findings may point to ways to adjust immune signals to reduce organ damage during severe infections.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to treatments that protect the lungs and other organs during sepsis, lowering death and long-term disability.
How similar studies have gone: Targeting inflammasomes and caspase-1 has shown benefit in animal models but has not yet produced widely effective treatments for human sepsis.
Where this research is happening
-
Louisiana State Univ A&m Col Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Jeyaseelan, Samithamby — Louisiana State Univ A&m Col Baton Rouge
- Study coordinator: Jeyaseelan, Samithamby
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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.