Sepsis

Sepsis is one of the leading causes of death in the developed world, with more than 420,000 deaths between the EU and United States annually. Despite decades of research aimed towards improving treatment, success has been minimal and better treatments are needed as a matter of urgency.

Sepsis is caused by pathogens from an infection which circulate in a patient’s bloodstream. These can elicit a dysregulated immune response that can escalate to multiple organ failure and death. The challenge in Sepsis is that both the pathogens (typically bacteria) and the body’s own response contribute to the disease. The destruction of bacteria by the immune system or antibiotics creates large quantities of endotoxins, which aggravate the immune response and can escalate sepsis even while treatment is being given.
 
The combination of functionalised MPs and MediSieve’s extracorporeal filter can reverse the initial impact of Sepsis – removing bacteria, endotoxin and the byproducts of the dysregulated immune response. For the specific treatment of Sepsis, MediSieve plans to use a combination of different magnetic particles to target the various pathogens and cytokines that lead to the symptoms of sepsis. Removing these causative agents from the bloodstream offers the potential of a novel treatment that can rapidly target both the pathogens and the dysregulated immune response to improve the treatment of sepsis.