New Study Finds Key Role For VEGF In Onset Of Sepsis

A study led by researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) has found that the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) protein is a key biomarker for sepsis, a severe inflammatory response that develops following a bacterial infection. The findings, which will be published in the June 12, 2006, issue of The Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM) and currently appear on-line, offer a promising new target for the development of drug therapies to treat this overwhelming – and often fatal -- condition.