Sepsis (or bloodstream infection) and pneumonia are common, life-threatening infectious diseases. For both, onset is sudden and progression is rapid. The likelihood of prolonged disability or death for patients with these diseases remains high, despite modern medical care.
Recent advances in experimental tools and analysis methods have created the opportunity to take a fresh look at the mechanisms of disease in sepsis and pneumonia. Comprehensive studies of affected patients, focused on the intersection of bodily function and blood chemistry promise to provide answers to important questions, such as:
- Why do these diseases differ so much in severity and outcome among affected patients?
- At the level of blood chemistry, what are the principal causes of death in these diseases?
- Can we develop “prognostic” tests that will predict the patients who will become sickest?
- There are several treatment options for sepsis and pneumonia; How can we target the most effective treatment for each patient?
- How can we track the rapid, variable progression of these diseases in a manner that allows us rapid and effective response and timely adjustments in treatment?
- What new ways of treating these diseases should we be pursuing?
A multidisciplinary approach is needed to undertake such studies in a manner that addresses these questions. This web site is dedicated to collaborative, multidisciplinary studies that are designed to answer these questions. To date, we have assembled a consortium of expert investigators at six organizations that have received funding from, and are under the oversight of, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID). The six organizations are:
- The National Center for Genome Resources (NCGR), Santa Fe, NM;
- Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC;
- Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, MI;
- Eli Lilly and Company, Indianapolis, IN;
- Indiana Centers for Applied Protein Sciences (INCAPS), Indianapolis, IN; and
- ProSanos Corp., La Jolla, CA.
Our collaborative research program is entitled Community Acquired Pneumonia & Sepsis Outcome Diagnostics (CAPSOD), and is designed to develop novel diagnostic and prognostic tests for severe sepsis and community acquired pneumonia (CAP).
We invite you to learn more about our work, and encourage you to join us in this important endeavor, either through a donation or a scientific collaboration.