Nanoparticle medicine to calm dangerous inflammation in sepsis
Official title: Bioactive immune-modulating nanodrug for sepsis treatment
Funded at Upstate Medical University · NIH-11319782 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A tiny, targeted medicine that aims to soak up excess inflammatory molecules and calm life-threatening inflammation in people with sepsis and related conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Upstate Medical University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Syracuse, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2024 |
| Project end | February 28, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $407,500 |
| NIH project number | 5R35GM153495-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11319782 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be adults with severe sepsis or sepsis-related acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) who have dangerous, overactive inflammatory responses.
✕Less likely to help
People with mild infections, illnesses not driven by the same inflammatory pathways, or conditions where removing inflammatory signals would be unsafe are unlikely to benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers are developing an engineered nanodrug called a telodendrimer nanotrap that can be given by injection or used in a blood-filtering (hemoperfusion) device to capture excess inflammatory molecules like bacterial toxins, cytokines, and DAMPs. The approach is designed to remove a broad mix of inflammatory signals at once rather than targeting a single mediator, with the goal of restoring balanced immune responses. So far the team has shown cures in severe sepsis mouse models when the nanotrap is optimized and combined with supportive therapy, and the grant supports further optimization and steps toward human translation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could lower life-threatening inflammation, reduce organ failure, and improve survival for people with sepsis.
How similar studies have gone: Related blood-filtering and anti-cytokine therapies have shown mixed results in patients, so this broad-spectrum nanotrap approach is promising but largely unproven in humans.
Where this research is happening
-
Upstate Medical University
Syracuse, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Luo, Juntao — Upstate Medical University
- Study coordinator: Luo, Juntao
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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.