Archivist Carole A. Prietto,
strives to preserve the University's past
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Archivist Carole A. Prietto, strives to preserve the University's past |
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Gene study to focus on life-threatening infections
By Gila Z. Reckess Physicians have yet to understand why only some people experience a life-threatening infection called sepsis following traumatic injury, an infectious disease or a seemingly minor medical or dental procedure. Sepsis often is debilitating -- sometimes fatal -- and affects roughly one-fourth of all patients in intensive care. Researchers at the School of Medicine received a four-year, $1.8 million grant from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences to investigate whether certain individuals are genetically predisposed to develop sepsis. "Some recent studies have identified possible genetic markers for susceptibility to infection, but they all have been small, population-specific studies," said principal investigator Timothy G. Buchman, M.D., Ph.D., the Harry Edison Professor of Surgery, and professor of medicine and anesthesiology. "Because of their size, all studies to date are so underpowered that their results depend on the outcome of one or two patients."
Buchman's team will take advantage of an international database called Project Impact. By compiling thousands of blood samples from centers around the world, they hope to gain a clearer perspective of which specific genetic characteristics distinguish individuals susceptible to sepsis from those who remain healthy.
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