Lin Zou, MD, PhD

Sepsis is a clinical syndrome with life-threatening organ dysfunction that is caused by a dysregulated host response to infection. The lung is one of the first organs to fail during sepsis and contribute to high mortality. Lung endothelial dysfunction is a hallmark of sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI), where inflammation plays an important role. We have recently found a rise in the plasma cell-free RNA including miRNAs in sepsis. These extracellular (ex) RNAs are released from host cells as well as invading bacteria and are closely correlated with sepsis severity. My research interest is to test the hypothesis that ex-miRNA play an important role in acute lung injury during polymicrobial sepsis. The research is supported by NIH R35GM124775 and the Shock Society.