In a major leap forward for critical care medicine, two international studies published in parallel in Nature Medicine have redefined how doctors and scientists understand the complex biological responses that occur in sepsis and other life-threatening conditions.
University of Malta (UM) researcher Brendon Scicluna, from the Department of Applied Biomedical Science within the Faculty of Health Sciences, designed and spearheaded one of these studies and made contributions to the second, marking a milestone moment for Maltese research on the world stage.
For decades, the development of effective treatments for critical illnesses such as sepsis, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), and trauma has been hampered by biological diversity among patients. This variability – known as heterogeneity – means that even individuals with the same diagnosis can respond very differently to treatment.
The two new studies directly address this challenge, providing a robust, unified classification system for understanding and categorising patients based on their biological responses.
“Our goal was to create a standardised model for sepsis research,” said Dr Scicluna. “We’ve unified years of research into one robust molecular framework that everyone can use. This provides the common language we desperately needed to make real progress in the field.”
“These studies are a powerful example of what happens when you combine clinical expertise with immunobiology and molecular profiling,” Dr Scicluna added.
At the University of Malta, Dr Scicluna leads the Translational Immunology and Infection Lab, which operates within the Department of Applied Biomedical Science and the Centre for Molecular Medicine and Biobanking. The lab collaborates closely with Mater Dei Hospital’s Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU), the Department of Anaesthesia, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, and the Saint Vincent de Paul long-term care facility to translate laboratory discoveries into real-world clinical applications.
“The work doesn’t stop here,” Dr Scicluna emphasised. “Our lab is already focused on deciphering the specific mechanisms of these disease subtypes to identify new treatment targets and improve patient outcomes. I’m proud to be surrounded by such an enthusiastic team.”
Main Image:Dr Brendon Scicluna / Facebook
Written By
Nicole Zammit
When she’s not writing articles at work or poetry at home, you’ll find her taking long walks in the countryside, pumping iron at the gym, caring for her farm animals, or spending quality time with family and friends. In short, she’s always on the go, drawing inspiration from the little things around her, and constantly striving to make the ordinary extraordinary.
