Death caused by infectious diseases occurs in the majority deaths, not because of the actual pathogen itself, but because of an excessive inflammatory immune response (sepsis). For example, as a result of organ damage.
Sepsis is also the second most frequent cause of death on intensive care units. Especially in patients with a severely compromised immune system, life-threatening candida fungal infections can pose a high risk of sepsis.
Leading researcher Karl Kuchler and his team at the Christian Doppler Laboratory for Infection Biology at the Max. F. Perutz Laboratories at the Vienna Biocenter Campus have now discovered the molecular causes of life-threatening inflammatory reactions that are triggered by fungal infections.
They discovered that inflammatory reaction in a candida infection is mediated by two of the immune system's highly aggressive types of phagocytes called neutrophils and inflammatory monocytes. Both phagocytes also have a high potential for collateral destruction.
Certain Interferons, i.e. the immune system's messenger substances that are excreted during fungal infections stimulate the growth of immune cell types, infecting organs and leading to sepsis.
Kuchler, said:
Kuchler used pioglitazone as an anti-inflammatory substance in the study, which is also used as an active ingredient in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
He administered the medication in a mouse model and noted that the number and activity of neutrophils and inflammatory monocytes were significantly reduced, raising the animals' survival rate for invasive candida infections.
Kuchler continued: "The targeted blockade of excessive immune responses could therefore provide new therapeutic approaches to increase the chances of recovery from life-threatening fungal sepsis."
The world's number one cause of death is infectious diseases, and pathogenic fungi are responsible for extremely dangerous infections. Over € 6 billion are spent each year worldwide on anti-fungal medications, and the overall treatment costs for pathogenic fungi-related infectious diseases is estimated to be hundreds of billions of Euros.
Written by Grace Rattue
Sepsis is also the second most frequent cause of death on intensive care units. Especially in patients with a severely compromised immune system, life-threatening candida fungal infections can pose a high risk of sepsis.
Leading researcher Karl Kuchler and his team at the Christian Doppler Laboratory for Infection Biology at the Max. F. Perutz Laboratories at the Vienna Biocenter Campus have now discovered the molecular causes of life-threatening inflammatory reactions that are triggered by fungal infections.
They discovered that inflammatory reaction in a candida infection is mediated by two of the immune system's highly aggressive types of phagocytes called neutrophils and inflammatory monocytes. Both phagocytes also have a high potential for collateral destruction.
Certain Interferons, i.e. the immune system's messenger substances that are excreted during fungal infections stimulate the growth of immune cell types, infecting organs and leading to sepsis.
Kuchler, said:
"We have been able to demonstrate for the first time that the targeted blockade of this immune response with inflammation-inhibiting drugs can significantly reduce candida sepsis and therefore mortality."
Kuchler used pioglitazone as an anti-inflammatory substance in the study, which is also used as an active ingredient in the treatment of type 2 diabetes.
He administered the medication in a mouse model and noted that the number and activity of neutrophils and inflammatory monocytes were significantly reduced, raising the animals' survival rate for invasive candida infections.
Kuchler continued: "The targeted blockade of excessive immune responses could therefore provide new therapeutic approaches to increase the chances of recovery from life-threatening fungal sepsis."
The world's number one cause of death is infectious diseases, and pathogenic fungi are responsible for extremely dangerous infections. Over € 6 billion are spent each year worldwide on anti-fungal medications, and the overall treatment costs for pathogenic fungi-related infectious diseases is estimated to be hundreds of billions of Euros.
Written by Grace Rattue
Not to be reproduced without permission.
Sepsis Causes Come To Light
Health Professionals:
Public / Patient:
- "Type I Interferons Promote Fatal Immunopathology by Regulating Inflammatory Monocytes and Neutrophils during Candida Infections"
Olivia Majer, Christelle Bourgeois, Florian Zwolanek, Caroline Lassnig, Dontscho Kerjaschki, Matthias Mack, Mathias Müller, Karl Kuchler
PLoS Pathogens, August 2012, doi:10.1371/journal.ppat.1002811
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