title: Current challenges in understanding immune cell functions during septic syndromes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Sepsis is a dynamic infectious disease syndrome characterized by dysregulated inflammatory responses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Despite decades of research, improvements in the treatment of sepsis have been modest. These limited advances are likely due, in part, to multiple factors, including substantial heterogeneity in septic syndromes, significant knowledge gaps in our understanding of how immune cells function in sepsis, and limitations in animal models that accurately recapitulate the human septic milieu. The goal of this brief review is to describe current challenges in understanding immune cell functions during sepsis. We also provide a framework to guide scientists and clinicians in research and patient care as they strive to better understand dysregulated cell responses during sepsis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Additional, well-designed translational studies in sepsis are critical for enhancing our understanding of the role of immune cells in sepsis.
authors.affiliation: Program in Molecular Medicine, Salt Lake City, 84112, , Utah, USA. zfranks@u2m2.utah.edu.
authors.forename: Zechariah
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Franks
authors.affiliation: Program in Molecular Medicine, Salt Lake City, 84112, , Utah, USA. m.carlisle@u2m2.utah.edu.
authors.forename: McKenzie
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Carlisle
authors.affiliation: Program in Molecular Medicine, Salt Lake City, 84112, , Utah, USA. matt.rondina@u2m2.utah.edu.|Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, 84112, , Utah, USA. matt.rondina@u2m2.utah.edu.
authors.forename: Matthew T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Rondina
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007249:Inflammation; D005791:Patient Care; D018746:Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome / Q000276:immunology*; D057170:Translational Research, Biomedical