The role of monocytes during immunosuppression in sepsis

Aim: To study how monocytes contribute to immunosuppression in sepsis.

Background: During certain conditions, such as sepsis, immunosuppressive mechanisms contribute to mortality and morbidity. Among these mechanisms, there is drastic changes within the monocyte population, where monocytes lose their surface expression of HLA-DR, can suppress T cell proliferation and produce less TNF upon stimulation. In some individuals, these changes contribute to an excessive inhibition of the immune system, which loses its ability to protect the individual from subsequent infections. The main interest of this research is to understand how this immunosuppressive state arises and the function of monocytes in sepsis. The project combines in vitro models of monocytic cells with studies in sepsis patients.

Outcomes: Sepsis is a time-critical condition with high mortality and a heterogenous presentation. Early identification and customized treatment are key to reducing mortality. The lack of useful immune status markers to detect sepsis and determine which patients might benefit from different types of immunological interventions remains a major hurdle. Identification of immune status markers based on monocyte responses would promote better diagnostics and pave the way for immunotherapeutic precision medicine in sepsis.