Nanotools for Sepsis Diagnosis and Treatment

Abstract

Sepsis is one of the leading causes of death worldwide with high mortality rates and a pathological complexity hindering early and accurate diagnosis. Today, laboratory culture tests are the epitome of pathogen recognition in sepsis. However, their consistency remains an issue of controversy with false negative results often observed. Clinically used blood markers, C reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) are indicators of an acute‐phase response and thus lack specificity, offering limited diagnostic efficacy. In addition to poor diagnosis, inefficient drug delivery and the increasing prevalence of antibiotic‐resistant microorganisms constitute significant barriers in antibiotic stewardship and impede effective therapy. These challenges have prompted the exploration for alternative strategies that pursue accurate diagnosis and effective treatment. Nanomaterials are examined for both diagnostic and therapeutic purposes in sepsis. The nanoparticle (NP)‐enabled capture of sepsis causative agents and/or sepsis biomarkers in biofluids can revolutionize sepsis diagnosis. From the therapeutic point of view, currently existing nanoscale drug delivery systems have proven to be excellent allies in targeted therapy, while many other nanotherapeutic applications are envisioned. Herein, the most relevant applications of nanomedicine for the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of sepsis is reviewed, providing a critical assessment of their potentiality for clinical translation.

Nanotherapies for sepsis by regulating inflammatory signals and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species: New insight for treating COVID-19

“…Nanomedicines should have great advantages and prospects through carefully designed multifunctional nanomaterials to balance the complex relationship between the late-stage regulation of inflammation and the elimination of pathogens. The development of new and effective nanomedicines for therapies based on inflammation and RONS will achieve a significant breakthrough in the treatment of sepsis [ 164 , 165 ]. The efficacy of nanomaterials therapy should be assessed in clinical trials.…”

Sepsis diagnosis and treatment using nanomaterials

“…The employment of nanoparticles (NPs) for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes offers excellent potential due to their regulatory properties (e.g., size, shape, surface chemistry, charge, and composition) and their capacity for surface functionalization (with ligands, antibodies, and targeting molecules), allowing targeted and selective binding [ 32 ]. To improve the biodistribution of existing therapeutics, nanotechnology drug delivery systems can be engineered by improving the drug's bioavailability, efficacy, and stability at the target site [ 33 ].…”

“…NPs are widely known as the most-applicable nanotechnology; it was categorized with different types depending on their particle size, morphology, and physical and chemical properties. Those NP systems with sepsis treatment were based on several materials such as carbon, ceramic, or semiconductor instead of metal, polymeric, and lipid-based NPs [ 32 ].…”

The Design of Abnormal Microenvironment Responsive MRI Nanoprobe and Its Application

“…Nanotechnology is not only helpful for antibiotic therapy, but also for the early diagnosis of sepsis. Due to its unique characteristics and easy functionalization for specific pathogens, NPs have high diagnostic sensitivity and support multi-species detection [ 72 ]. Wang et al designed a new type of activatable nanoprobes (ROS CAs), composed of clinically approved iron oxide cores, Gd-DTPA and hyaluronic acid (HA), which can be imaged to submicromolar concentrations by MRI, and they can be used as a sensitive contrast agent for sepsis assessment.…”