Researchers Identify Gut Link to Sepsis Risk Variability

WHO:

Fox News - Researchers from the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology's Infectious Disease Research Center conducted the study.

Fox News - Andrew Fleming, MD, section chief of Infectious Diseases & Immunology at NYU Langone Hospital, Brooklyn, provided commentary on the study.

WHAT:

Fox News - The study published in the journal Nature investigated why sepsis outcomes vary among individuals.

Fox News - Mice with higher concentrations of Muribaculaceae bacteria in the gut had a survival rate of only 10% when housed with Sangeribacter muris KT1-3 mice.

Fox News - In poor surviving mice, Muribaculaceae made up about 28% of the microbiome, while in better surviving mice, it was only 0.15%.

Fox News - Mice with worse survival showed an early and strong inflammatory response, leading to increased bacteria in the blood, lungs, and spleen.

WHERE:

Fox News - The research was conducted at the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology.

WHEN:

Fox News - The study was published in the journal Nature.

WHY:

Fox News - The study suggests that gut health could signal severe sepsis prior to infection.

Fox News - A dysregulated microbiome, such as one altered by antibiotics, can impair or worsen the immune system's response during sepsis.

HOW:

Fox News - The researchers used female mouse models to compare groups with different gut microbiomes and survival rates after infection with Acinetobacter baumannii.

Fox News - The study examined differences in gut microbiomes, the amount of bacteria in blood and organs, and other cellular markers.

(UPDATED June 9, 2026 06:18 UTC)

Researchers from the Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology have published a study in the journal Nature that explores why sepsis outcomes differ among individuals. The study found that mice with higher levels of Muribaculaceae bacteria in their gut had a survival rate of only 10% when housed with Sangeribacter muris KT1-3 mice, while those with better survival rates showed significantly lower levels of this bacteria. The findings suggest that gut health may serve as an early indicator of severe sepsis, indicating that a dysregulated microbiome could worsen the immune response during such infections.