Scientists researching treatments for biological weapons could have found a way to combat Sepsis, one of the biggest killers in hospitals, according to an exclusive report published in Focus magazine today (10 April 2008).
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Sepsis, a serious infection in the blood or tissues, is one of the top 10 killers in the US and kills more people in the UK than bowel cancer.
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Now, a team of researchers at the MoD's Porton Down Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) think they have found a technique to diagnose sufferers even before they show any symptoms, massively increasing their chances of survival.
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Dr Roman Lukaszewski, a biomedical scientist at DSTL told Focus: "With biological warfare, once you are symptomatic, you are already a long way down the line.
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"If you wait for the symptoms to appear before administering drugs, they will not necessarily work that well. It's much better if you can give some kind of treatment in the lag phase between exposure and symptoms."
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Sepsis is a likely consequence of biological weapon attacks, but also develops as a result of more common infections, such as the 'hospital superbug' MRSA.
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In a pilot study at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, the DSTL researchers looked for the expression of 54 'markers' in the blood of patients admitted to intensive care.
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They found that the changes in the levels of seven chemicals – pro-inflammatory cytokines* – can act as an early warning system for sepsis.
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Over the next two to three years, 12,000 patients at teaching hospitals will be recruited for a larger study to test the link.
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Dr Lukaszewski added: "We will have developed something that will help with treatment after a biological attack. But there's a whole flipside that could be really important for the civilian area, which is diagnosis before symptoms present themselves when there's a hospital-acquired infection. And I don't see any reason why this technique couldn't be used as an early warning for other conditions in the future."
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Andy Ridgway, News Editor of Focus, said: "This is remarkable research that could massively improve the chances of patients surviving life-threatening hospital infections that we so commonly hear about in the media.
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"If the next stage of research is successful it could have a huge impact on people’s lives. It is a really exciting development."
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* Cytokines are messengers in the immune system that activate infection-killing cells.
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Notes to editors
'Military research battles hospital killer' appears in the May issue of Focus on sale 10 April, priced Β£3.40.
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Focus
Focus magazine, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ’s popular science and technology monthly, was named PPA Consumer Specialist Magazine of the Year 2007. It brings readers a unique editorial proposition with a reliable and accessible voice through expert journalism and close links to acclaimed Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ programming such as Horizon.
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The magazine covers technology, discovery and exploration, the natural world, environmental issues and anything else that can be explained though science.
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It has a monthly circulation of 65,301 (ABC Jul-Dec 2007) and is published by Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Magazines Bristol, a trading name of Bristol Magazines Ltd., which is a subsidiary of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide Ltd. For further information, visit .
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DSTL
The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL) is a centre of scientific excellence for the Ministry of Defence (MOD).
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Its 3,500 strong workforce includes some of the nation’s most talented and creative scientists with the brief to ensure that the UK Armed Forces and Government are supported in-house by the very best impartial scientific and technological advice. DSTL's position at the heart of the MOD means that its advice is trusted by governments, academia, industry and international partners.
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It offers timely and accurate advice at all levels of military planning and operations, both overseas and on the home front. For more information please visit .
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Tabitha Morton
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