Researchers at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) have tested a compound called cilengitide in a preclinical trial. The drug goes by the brand name InnovoSep. Researchers discover the drug has the potential to stop sepsis before the condition reaches major organs and becomes fatal. In the pre-clinical trial, the researchers successfully used InnovoSep to inhibit S. aureus and E. coli from binding to human endothelial cells, both in vivo and in vitro. Endothelial cells are the first barrier between the blood and the extravascular space. Sepsis is a major challenge in the intensive care unit (ICU), where it is one of the leading causes of death. It arises unpredictability and can progress rapidly. Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli are among the most common microorganisms isolated from sepsis patients. The Cardiovascular Infection Research Group in RCSI has demonstrated that cilengitide prevents both S. aureus and E. coli from binding to the endothelium thus inhibiting early signal generation that results in endothelial cell dysfunction in sepsis. This technology represents a first-in class, non-antibiotic approach to targeting bacteraemia and severe bloodstream infections. Steve Kerrigan, Ph.D., an associate professor in pharmacology at the RCSI, invented the drug and led the trial. Prof. Steve Kerrigan is Associate Professor in Pharmacology at RCSI and inventor of InnovoSep, a potential new breakthrough therapy in the fight against sepsis. Steve is a passionate advocate for educating people about the signs of sepsis.

Watch Prof Steve Kerrigan lecture “Fighting the Silent Killer: Saving Lives from Sepsis”

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