A self-assembling peptide nanoparticle targets bacteria while simultaneously rejuvenating exhausted immune cells to fight sepsis-related secondary infections.
Sci Transl MedDual-action peptide nanoparticle published in a top translational medicine journal
What the researchers found
BATMAN peptide nanoparticle simultaneously targets bacteria and rejuvenates immunosuppressed macrophages via tuftsin-FcγR signaling in preclinical sepsis.
Why it matters
Sepsis kills millions annually and secondary infections are the leading cause of late sepsis deaths — this dual-action approach addresses both problems.
The numbers in context
Components: ubiquicidin (bacteria-targeting), cholesteryl hemisuccinate (lipase-sensitive), FFVLK (assembly), tuftsin (immune activation); tested in mouse sepsis model.
How the study worked
Self-assembling peptide nanoparticle design with preclinical evaluation in sepsis-associated secondary infection models.
Who was studied
Mice with sepsis-associated immunosuppression
What this study cannot tell us
Preclinical study — human sepsis is highly heterogeneous and may respond differently. Manufacturing complexity of multi-domain peptide nanoparticles.
How to read the evidence
High-impact preclinical study in a leading translational journal — compelling proof of concept but requires clinical validation.
When this study was published
Published in 2025, introducing a novel multi-functional peptide approach to sepsis.
The bigger picture
This represents a new paradigm in sepsis treatment — fighting infection while simultaneously repairing the damaged immune system.
Questions still open
- Can BATMAN be manufactured at scale for clinical trials?
- Would it work in different types of secondary infection beyond the models tested?
Common questions
What is BATMAN in this context?
Why are secondary infections after sepsis so dangerous?
Read the original research
FcγR-targeted tuftsin clusters rejuvenate macrophages in preclinical sepsis-associated secondary infection.
Science translational medicine, 17(830), eadv0313
Citation
Qing, Guangchao; Zhang, Yuxuan; Wang, Yongchao; Li, Xianlei; Luo, Ting; Zhang, Fuxue; Ni, Qiankun; Hu, Runjing; Shan, Shaobo; Zhang, Hong; Yuan, Rui; Gan, Yaling; Liang, Xing-Jie; Luo, Yang. (2025). FcγR-targeted tuftsin clusters rejuvenate macrophages in preclinical sepsis-associated secondary infection.. Science translational medicine, 17(830), eadv0313. https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.adv0313