Published March 27, 2026 | Version v1
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Immune-regulating complex orchestrates protection against sepsis

Authors/Creators

  • 1. Institute of Pediatric Research, Children's Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, China
  • 2. Department of Orthopedics, Suzhou Kowloon Hospital, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Suzhou, China

Description

The prognosis of sepsis, a life-threatening organ dysfunction with high mortality, is closely related to the immune function of the host. It was found that the toll-like receptor (TLR) 7/8 signaling pathway could be activated to achieve the prevention and treatment of sepsis. Herein, a kind of immune-regulating complex is constructed by simple mixing R848, a TLR 7/8 agonist, with sodium alginate (ALG). Such an immune-regulating complex (R848@ALG) could form a hydrogel in vivo, enabling the sustained release of R848 and thereby activating the immune system. Furthermore, the complex could enhance the function of immune cells to accelerate the clearance of Escherichia coli (E. coli), reduce the inflammatory injury induced by various cytokines, and increase the survival rate of septic mice. Therefore, our work provides a simple and effective immune-regulating complex for preventing and treating E. coli-induced sepsis.

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