{"id":52031,"date":"2025-10-07T15:13:13","date_gmt":"2025-10-07T14:13:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/?p=52031"},"modified":"2025-10-07T15:13:13","modified_gmt":"2025-10-07T14:13:13","slug":"um-researcher-key-to-dual-nature-medicine-studies-establishing-a-new-global-standard-for-precision-medicine-in-sepsis-and-critical-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/2025\/10\/07\/um-researcher-key-to-dual-nature-medicine-studies-establishing-a-new-global-standard-for-precision-medicine-in-sepsis-and-critical-care\/","title":{"rendered":"UM researcher key to Dual Nature Medicine Studies Establishing a New Global Standard for Precision Medicine in Sepsis and Critical Care"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>In a major leap forward for critical care medicine, two landmark international studies published in parallel in the prestigious journal <em>Nature Medicine<\/em> have established a new, unified framework for understanding the biological chaos of sepsis and other life-threatening illnesses. A University of Malta researcher, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.um.edu.mt\/profile\/brendonscicluna\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Dr Brendon Scicluna<\/a> of the Department of Applied Biomedical Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, designed and spearheaded one of the studies and made significant contributions to the second, placing the University at the forefront of the global effort to bring precision medicine to the sickest patients in our hospitals.<\/p>\n<p>For decades, developing new treatments for critical illnesses like sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and trauma has been hampered by a major challenge, that is, although treated as single conditions, every patient&#8217;s body responds differently. This biological diversity, known as heterogeneity, has been a primary barrier to progress.\u00a0 The two new studies tackle this problem head-on, providing a robust, unified way to classify patients into distinct cellular biological subtypes.<\/p>\n<p>The first study, <strong>&#8220;A consensus blood transcriptomic framework for sepsis,&#8221;<\/strong> led by Dr Scicluna, aggregated data from over 1,800 sepsis patients. Using a technique called blood transcriptomics, which measures the activity of thousands of genes to create a real-time snapshot of a patient&#8217;s immune response, the team created a single, harmonized classification system. It identifies three &#8220;<u>C<\/u>onsensus <u>T<\/u>ranscriptomic <u>S<\/u>ubtypes&#8221; (CTSs) of sepsis, each with a unique molecular signature:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>CTS1:<\/strong> A classic, strong inflammatory response driven by an aggressive but immature neutrophil attack.<\/li>\n<li><strong>CTS2:<\/strong> Characterised by disturbances in blood clotting and the processing of heme, a key component of red blood cells.<\/li>\n<li><strong>CTS3:<\/strong> Associated with a unique immune state involving antiviral interferon signals and features typically seen in organ transplant rejection.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<blockquote class=\"NP-Quote\"><p><strong>&#8220;Our goal was to create a standardised model for sepsis research,&#8221; explains Dr Scicluna, a Principal Investigator and resident academic at UM. &#8220;We&#8217;ve unified years of research into one robust molecular framework that everyone can use. This provides the common language we desperately needed to make real progress in the field.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Crucially, the study delivered a stark warning. A reanalysis of a major randomized controlled trial revealed that patients assigned to the <strong>CTS2 subtype were actually harmed by corticosteroids<\/strong>, a common anti-inflammatory treatment for sepsis and other immune-related disorders. This finding underscores the urgent need to move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach.<\/p>\n<p>The second study, <strong>&#8220;A consensus immune dysregulation framework for sepsis and critical illnesses,&#8221;<\/strong> from the international SUBSPACE consortium to which Dr Scicluna contributed, complements this work perfectly. Analysing over 7,000 patient samples from 37 cohorts, this study identified two core patterns of immune dysregulation, one in myeloid cells (the immune system&#8217;s first responders) and one in lymphoid cells (responsible for targeted immunity). Remarkably, the study found this same fundamental dysregulation was present not only in sepsis but also in patients with ARDS, trauma, and burns, suggesting shared biological mechanisms across multiple forms of critical illness.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"NP-Quote\"><p><strong>&#8220;Seeing these two studies published side-by-side is a landmark moment,&#8221; states Dr Scicluna. &#8220;They are a synergy. Together, they provide undeniable evidence that this multidisciplinary data-driven approach is the future of critical care.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>The complementary findings from these two extensive studies offer a powerful new framework for understanding critical illness and, for the first time, provide a clear path forward for designing clinical trials that can finally deliver on the promise of precision medicine for the most vulnerable patients in the Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU).<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThese studies are a powerful example of what happens when you combine clinical expertise with immunobiology and molecular profiling&#8221; concludes Dr Scicluna.<\/p>\n<p>Dr Brendon Scicluna is a Principal Investigator leading the Translational Immunology and Infection lab at the University of Malta.<\/p>\n<p>The research described in these publications was supported by funding from the European Society for Intensive Care Medicine, a University of Malta Research Excellence Award, and multiple grants from the Xjenza Malta Research Excellence Program. The work also received foundational support from the Center for Translational Molecular Medicine in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"pvc_stats_52031\" class=\"pvc_stats all  \" data-element-id=\"52031\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.0\" viewBox=\"0 0 502 315\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\"><g transform=\"translate(0,332) scale(0.1,-0.1)\" fill=\"\" stroke=\"none\"><path d=\"M2394 3279 l-29 -30 -3 -207 c-2 -182 0 -211 15 -242 39 -76 157 -76 196 0 15 31 17 60 15 243 l-3 209 -33 29 c-26 23 -41 29 -80 29 -41 0 -53 -5 -78 -31z\"\/><path d=\"M3085 3251 c-45 -19 -58 -50 -96 -229 -47 -217 -49 -260 -13 -295 52 -53 146 -42 177 20 16 31 87 366 87 410 0 70 -86 122 -155 94z\"\/><path d=\"M1751 3234 c-13 -9 -29 -31 -37 -50 -12 -29 -10 -49 21 -204 19 -94 39 -189 45 -210 14 -50 54 -80 110 -80 34 0 48 6 76 34 21 21 34 44 34 59 0 14 -18 113 -40 219 -37 178 -43 195 -70 221 -36 32 -101 37 -139 11z\"\/><path d=\"M1163 3073 c-36 -7 -73 -59 -73 -102 0 -56 133 -378 171 -413 34 -32 83 -37 129 -13 70 36 67 87 -16 290 -86 209 -89 214 -129 231 -35 14 -42 15 -82 7z\"\/><path d=\"M3689 3066 c-15 -9 -33 -30 -42 -48 -48 -103 -147 -355 -147 -375 0 -98 131 -148 192 -74 13 15 57 108 97 206 80 196 84 226 37 273 -30 30 -99 39 -137 18z\"\/><path d=\"M583 2784 c-38 -19 -67 -74 -58 -113 9 -42 211 -354 242 -373 16 -10 45 -18 66 -18 51 0 107 52 107 100 0 39 -1 41 -124 234 -80 126 -108 162 -133 173 -41 17 -61 16 -100 -3z\"\/><path d=\"M4250 2784 c-14 -9 -74 -91 -133 -183 -95 -150 -107 -173 -107 -213 0 -55 33 -94 87 -104 67 -13 90 8 211 198 130 202 137 225 78 284 -27 27 -42 34 -72 34 -22 0 -50 -8 -64 -16z\"\/><path d=\"M2275 2693 c-553 -48 -1095 -270 -1585 -649 -135 -104 -459 -423 -483 -476 -23 -49 -22 -139 2 -186 73 -142 361 -457 571 -626 285 -228 642 -407 990 -497 242 -63 336 -73 660 -74 310 0 370 5 595 52 535 111 1045 392 1455 803 122 121 250 273 275 326 19 41 19 137 0 174 -41 79 -309 363 -465 492 -447 370 -946 591 -1479 653 -113 14 -422 18 -536 8z m395 -428 c171 -34 330 -124 456 -258 112 -119 167 -219 211 -378 27 -96 24 -300 -5 -401 -72 -255 -236 -447 -474 -557 -132 -62 -201 -76 -368 -76 -167 0 -236 14 -368 76 -213 98 -373 271 -451 485 -162 444 86 934 547 1084 153 49 292 57 452 25z m909 -232 c222 -123 408 -262 593 -441 76 -74 138 -139 138 -144 0 -16 -233 -242 -330 -319 -155 -123 -309 -223 -461 -299 l-81 -41 32 46 c18 26 49 83 70 128 143 306 141 649 -6 957 -25 52 -61 116 -79 142 l-34 47 45 -20 c26 -10 76 -36 113 -56z m-2057 25 c-40 -58 -105 -190 -130 -263 -110 -324 -59 -707 132 -981 25 -35 42 -64 37 -64 -19 0 -241 119 -326 174 -188 122 -406 314 -532 468 l-58 71 108 103 c185 178 428 349 672 473 66 33 121 60 123 61 2 0 -10 -19 -26 -42z\"\/><path d=\"M2375 1950 c-198 -44 -350 -190 -395 -379 -18 -76 -8 -221 19 -290 114 -284 457 -406 731 -260 98 52 188 154 231 260 27 69 37 214 19 290 -38 163 -166 304 -326 360 -67 23 -215 33 -279 19z\"\/><\/g><\/svg><\/i> <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"16\" height=\"16\" alt=\"Loading\" src=\"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/page-views-count\/ajax-loader-2x.gif\" border=0 \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In a major leap forward for critical care medicine, two landmark international studies published in parallel in the prestigious journal Nature Medicine have established a new, unified framework for understanding the biological chaos of sepsis and other life-threatening illnesses. A University of Malta researcher, Dr Brendon Scicluna of the Department of Applied Biomedical Science, Faculty [&hellip;]<\/p>\n<div class=\"pvc_clear\"><\/div>\n<p id=\"pvc_stats_52031\" class=\"pvc_stats all  \" data-element-id=\"52031\" style=\"\"><i class=\"pvc-stats-icon medium\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" version=\"1.0\" viewBox=\"0 0 502 315\" preserveAspectRatio=\"xMidYMid meet\"><g transform=\"translate(0,332) scale(0.1,-0.1)\" fill=\"\" stroke=\"none\"><path d=\"M2394 3279 l-29 -30 -3 -207 c-2 -182 0 -211 15 -242 39 -76 157 -76 196 0 15 31 17 60 15 243 l-3 209 -33 29 c-26 23 -41 29 -80 29 -41 0 -53 -5 -78 -31z\"\/><path d=\"M3085 3251 c-45 -19 -58 -50 -96 -229 -47 -217 -49 -260 -13 -295 52 -53 146 -42 177 20 16 31 87 366 87 410 0 70 -86 122 -155 94z\"\/><path d=\"M1751 3234 c-13 -9 -29 -31 -37 -50 -12 -29 -10 -49 21 -204 19 -94 39 -189 45 -210 14 -50 54 -80 110 -80 34 0 48 6 76 34 21 21 34 44 34 59 0 14 -18 113 -40 219 -37 178 -43 195 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Lynch","author_link":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/author\/bernardlynch\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"In a major leap forward for critical care medicine, two landmark international studies published in parallel in the prestigious journal Nature Medicine have established a new, unified framework for understanding the biological chaos of sepsis and other life-threatening illnesses. A University of Malta researcher, Dr Brendon Scicluna of the Department of Applied Biomedical Science, Faculty&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52031","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52031"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52031\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":52033,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52031\/revisions\/52033"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/52032"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52031"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52031"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/livenewsmalta.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52031"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}