Reconciling Clinical Criteria and the Use of Genetically Engineered Animals in Sepsis Research

A powerful method for identifying the in vivo molecular mechanisms that underlie pathophysiologic conditions seen in sepsis and septic shock is the utilization of genetically engineered mice in a clinically relevant experimental setting. Various aspects of preclinical study design, including the type of model, have to be considered carefully according to current understandings of the cause and course of clinical sepsis. The implementation of recommended therapeutic strategies in experimental sepsis is crucial to obtain meaningful data and, therefore, achieve a proper level of relevance. Ongoing and rapid progress in the development of microsurgical techniques and methods of measurements applicable in such a small-sized species facilitate the acquisition and evaluation of objective criteria and physiological parameters, respectively. The transformation of a typical clinical setting in intensive care units (ICUs), including mechanical ventilation and invasive monitoring of organ function into experiments on mice, may become routine maneuvers.