Carbon monoxide releasing molecules: New insights for anticoagulation strategy in sepsis

Sepsis is a common and serious medical condition caused by hemorrhage, trauma, or abdominal surgery. Despite new understanding and much progress in therapies that specifically interfere with an interesting target, sepsis remains the leading causes of death in critically ill patients. Various therapies have been studied, but the majority of these treatments fail in clinical trials. It is clear that all septic patients exhibit coagulation abnormalities. These abnormalities range from subtle to marked activation of coagulation system, and finally to fulminant DIC. Studies confirmed that carbon monoxide has important cytoprotective function and anti-inflammatory properties. Until now, the question of whether CO plays a critical role in improving the coagulation system and then decreasing mortality during sepsis has not yet been definitely answered. Attempts to confirm this strategy may lead to new directions in the study of treatment of sepsis and the development of a novel agent for this disorder.