The crucial role of a natural messenger, TNF, in severe meningococcal septicaemia-a potential new anti-TNF therapy to stop septicaemia.
Research archive
- Imperial College School of Medicine at Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK
- Researchers:
Dr Masao Takata, Professor Michael Levin
- Project Number: 0007.0
- Category: Treatment
- Duration: 2001-2004
- Start Date: 01 January 2001
- Type: Lay summary
- View scientific version
One of the human body's chemical messengers, called tumour necrosis factor (TNF), may play a crucial role in the course of meningococcal septicaemia. We know that in cases of overwhelming septicaemic shock, where the patient is fighting for life just hours after the first symptoms appear, the body produces too much of this messenger.
TNF has two active forms, one that floats in the blood, and the other that sits on cell surfaces. Understanding how these two forms of TNF act, and what controls their balance over time, may be the key to understanding how to treat septicaemic shock and multi-organ failure.
This project brings together scientists and clinicians with complementary areas of expertise to study this problem by analysing clinical blood samples from the patients as well as performing experiments in the laboratory.
Results from this study have been published in a scientific journal as follows:
Alvarez-Iglesias M, Wayne G, O'Dea KP, Amour A, Takata M.
Continuous real-time measurement of tumor necrosis factor-alpha converting enzyme activity on live cells.
Lab Invest 2005 Nov;85(11):1440-8.
http://www.nature.com/labinvest/journal/v85/n11/pdf/3700340a.pdf