Sepsis is a response to infection that can lead to a massive and dysregulated systemic inflammatory response resulting in multiple organ dysfunction and death. Although treatment with antibiotics treats the underlying infection, it does not reverse the cascade of signaling events activating the inflammatory responses. There are few interventional trials demonstrating clinical benefit in patients with sepsis. The Kaplan Laboratory is dedicated to understanding and treating the inflammatory responses in sepsis by using a basic, translational and clinical research approach.

Our research focuses on three main areas:

  1. The Role of PPAR gamma in Sepsis.
  2. The Increased Susceptibility of Diet-Induced Obesity to Sepsis.
  3. Phase 1 Clinical Trial of Pioglitazone in Pediatric Sepsis.