Stopping harmful immune overreactions in severe infections
Mechanisms of Dysregulated Innate Immune Responses to Lethal Infections
This project explores how pieces of microbes and certain human proteins trigger dangerous immune reactions that can cause severe sepsis, organ failure, and blood clotting.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Feinstein Institute for Medical Research NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Manhasset, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11193482 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient perspective, researchers are trying to understand why some infections cause an overwhelming, damaging immune response. They will examine how microbial parts (including a piece of the SARS‑CoV‑2 spike) and host proteins make immune cells release molecules called HMGB1 and SQSTM1. Using laboratory models, animal work, and human-derived samples, the team will study how these signals cause immune cell death, immune suppression, and blood clotting. The goal is to find points in these pathways that could be blocked to prevent the most dangerous consequences of infection.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People who have or recently had severe infections such as sepsis or severe COVID‑19, or who can donate blood or other samples to the research, would be the most relevant candidates.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate clinical treatment for an active infection are unlikely to get direct benefit from this primarily lab‑based, preclinical project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to prevent immune collapse, organ damage, and clotting in people with severe infections.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work from this team identified HMGB1 and SQSTM1 as harmful mediators in deadly infections, providing supportive evidence though clinical treatments based on these findings remain early.
Where this research is happening
Manhasset, United States
- Feinstein Institute for Medical Research — Manhasset, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wang, Haichao — Feinstein Institute for Medical Research
- Study coordinator: Wang, Haichao
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.