VSMU student proposed new treatment for sepsis

Karolina Grigorieva, a student of Vitebsk State Medical University (VSMU), proposed an experimental method for the treatment of acute adrenal insufficiency in sepsis, sb.by reports citing Belarus’ Healthcare Ministry spokesperson Yulia Borodun

The young girl has won the 15th Republican Contest of Innovation Projects in the Best Youth Innovation Project nomination, with the awards ceremony held on December 17th, in Minsk.

“The project of Karolina Grigorieva and her supervisor – Head of the VSMU Central Scientific Research Laboratory, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Sergei Osochuk – was entitled The Development of a Method of Experimental Prevention of Waterhouse Friderichsen Syndrome (acute adrenal insufficiency during generalised inflammation),” Ms. Borodun added.

“The project is to develop a drug that will prevent the development of acute adrenal insufficiency or treat sepsis,” Karolina explained. “Since many patients with sepsis have a decrease in cholesterol levels, this is an unfavourable prognostic criterion. Worldwide, 14 people die every minute from sepsis. The annual death toll is 11 million. Therefore, we took a closer look at this pathology and realised that what was missing was a pathogenetically based method of treatment involving correction of cholesterol levels. The drug developed in laboratory conditions is able to deliver cholesterol to the adrenal glands via liposomes.”

The young scientists drew attention to the fact that pilot studies have been conducted so far, showing that when the drug is administered intraperitoneally or intravenously, mortality decreases by 80 percent and 87 percent respectively, “We have confirmed the idea that cholesterol replacement therapy works. We are now developing a methodology for industrial production of liposomes with cholesterol to conduct preclinical and clinical trials.”