Remarkable Prevention of Mortality from Sepsis in Mice

Nearly 70 years after the introduction of antibacterials, sepsis still is associated with mortality in as many as 50% of cases worldwide. Sepsis is thought to result from an excessive and uncontrolled immune response to infection.

A multi-institutional team reports that, during the innate immune response to bacterial and viral pathogens, the enzyme topoisomerase 1 (Top1) orchestrates activation of multiple genes that encode key inflammatory molecules. In vitro studies showed that an inhibitor of Top1, camptothecin (CPT), specifically reduced production of these inflammatory molecules, without affecting the function of other molecules essential to cell health. Mice received experimental infections with Staphylococcus aureus, a combination of …