Metabolic testing to improve care for sepsis and ARDS
Official title: Translational Metabolomics in Critical Care
Funded at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor · NIH-11263712 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work uses blood metabolic testing to find patterns that could help doctors predict outcomes and tailor care for adults with sepsis and ARDS.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2020 |
| Project end | January 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $438,672 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM136312-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11263712 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults hospitalized with sepsis or acute respiratory distress syndrome, especially those treated at participating ICUs or enrolled in the program's clinical cohorts, are the ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without sepsis or ARDS, pediatric patients if the work focuses on adults, and patients not treated at participating hospitals are unlikely to receive direct benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers analyze small molecules in blood (metabolites) from people with sepsis and ARDS and from laboratory swine models to find metabolic patterns linked to outcomes. They use advanced tools like liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry, quantitative NMR, and novel point-of-care devices to measure metabolites in clinical and experimental samples. The team compares results from animal models and human sepsis cohorts and studies relationships with angiopoietin-2 levels to validate findings. The aim is to develop faster metabolic signatures that could help guide treatment decisions in the ICU.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to faster blood tests that predict who will worsen and help personalize treatment for sepsis and ARDS patients.
How similar studies have gone: Prior metabolomics studies have found promising biomarker patterns in sepsis and ARDS, but turning those findings into routine clinical tests is still early and developing.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Stringer, Kathleen a — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Stringer, Kathleen a
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Investigating metabolism in critical illnesses like sepsis and ARDS
This study is looking at how the body changes during serious illnesses like sepsis and ARDS to find helpful markers that can predict how patients will do and improve their treatment.
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Newborn screening: using gene and metabolite data to refine true vs false positives
A study using genetic and metabolomic data from newborn blood spots to better distinguish real metabolic disorders from false alarms.
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Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Clinical Site (CPCCRN)
A nationwide network is testing personalized care approaches for seriously ill children with sepsis to improve outcomes.
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Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network: personalized care for septic kids
A nationwide network is testing personalized treatment approaches for children with sepsis-related organ failure to improve outcomes.
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Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Network Site: Kids’ Sepsis Care
A pediatric-focused NIH grant supports a network site that helps tailor sepsis care for critically ill children across multiple centers.
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Personalized care for septic children through immunomodulation in MODS
This project tests a custom approach to treating pediatric sepsis in kids with organ failure by tailoring treatments to each child’s immune profile.
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.