Gene Therapy Shows Promise in Treating Sepsis-Induced Lung Injury

Researchers at West China Second University Hospital have made a significant breakthrough in the treatment of sepsis-induced lung injury (ALI) using gene therapy. According to a study published in the journal Toxins, gene therapy using LL-37 has been shown to alleviate the progression of ALI by attenuating pulmonary epithelial cell oxidative injury and inflammatory response. The study found that LL-37 suppressed the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, reduced oxidative stress, and enhanced autophagy in human alveolar epithelial cells.

Key Takeaways:

• The study was conducted by researchers at West China Second University Hospital, led by Hu Gao.
• The research was funded by The Key R&D Projects of Science and Technology Department of Sichuan Province.
• Gene therapy using LL-37 has been shown to alleviate the progression of sepsis-evoked ALI by attenuating pulmonary epithelial cell oxidative injury and inflammatory response.
• LL-37 suppressed the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, including IL-18, TNF-α, and IL-1β.
• The study found that LL-37 reduced oxidative stress, as indicated by lower levels of ROS, malondialdehyde, and lactate dehydrogenase.
• LL-37 enhanced autophagy in human alveolar epithelial cells, which was associated with a reduction in cell death and inflammation.
• The research concluded that gene therapy using LL-37 may be a promising approach for the treatment of ALI patients.

Statistics:

• 1350 differentially expressed genes were identified between the LPS and LPS/LL-37 groups.
• ZBP1 was found to be a significantly down-regulated gene with the largest fold change.
• LL-37 suppressed LPS-increased ZBP1 expression, which restrained LL-37-induced autophagy.

Sources:

• Hu Gao, Department of Emergency Medicine, West China Second University Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, People's Republic of China.
• Fajuan Tang, Bin Chen, Xihong Li.
• LL-37 Attenuates Sepsis-Induced Lung Injury by Alleviating Inflammatory Response and Epithelial Cell Oxidative Injury via ZBP1-Mediated Autophagy. Toxins, 2025,17(6):306. (Toxins - http://www.mdpi.com/journal/toxins/).
• NewsRx. Research on Gene Therapy Reported by Researchers at West China Second University Hospital (LL-37 Attenuates Sepsis-Induced Lung Injury by Alleviating Inflammatory Response and Epithelial Cell Oxidative Injury via ZBP1-Mediated Autophagy). Respiratory Therapeutics Week. July 7, 2025; p 158.