Cell death mechanisms in sepsis-associated adaptive immune dysfunction
Abstract
and T helper cells. This review proposes that these pathways do not operate in isolation but converge on a "cell death decision network" centred on caspase-8, receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1(RIPK1), reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondria, whose integration determines lymphocyte fate under septic stress. Understanding this network opens opportunities for precision immunotherapy. Emerging strategies targeting these pathways hold promise, but their success will require phase-specific application, biomarker-guided patient stratification and cell-type-selective delivery. Targeting the quality, as well as the quantity, of cell death may restore adaptive immunity and improve survival in sepsis.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Immune Response and Inflammation
Sepsis Diagnosis and Treatment
Immune responses and vaccinations
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Journal of Critical Care
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Volume
- 96
- Pages
- 155696–155696
- Publication date
- 22 July 2026
- Language
- EN