Ainsley Sutherland

2004 Research Trainee Award, Junior Graduate Studentship

Genetic determinants of the host response to infection in critically ill adults with Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome

Each year in Canada about 100,000 people develop sepsis, a severe illness caused by an overwhelming bacterial infection in the bloodstream. The condition causes blood pressure to drop, resulting in shock that severely impacts the function of major organs and brain. With a mortality rate of 30 percent, sepsis causes more deaths than heart attacks. Inflammation and immune response to infection varies greatly between patients. Some inflammation is a normal defense against infection. But if inflammation is excessive, white blood cells and other cells can spill into the circulatory system and damage normal organs. Ainsley Sutherland is studying whether the genes that recognize bacteria and viruses play a role in determining which patients will develop the excessive inflammation that can lead to sepsis. The research could be used to target drug therapies for patients at higher risk of sepsis, and to avoid unnecessary drug side effects in patients who are not at risk. Completed award term, April 2006

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