The "cytokine storm" in infection and sepsis: win the battle but lose the war.

ABSTRACT: The cytokine storm, a life-threatening systemic inflammatory syndrome, is the primary driver of multiorgan failure in different clinical situations, including severe infections, autoimmune diseases, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cell immunotherapy for cancer, and genetic syndromes. This review focuses primarily on cytokine storms triggered by severe infections such as viral pneumonia and bacterial sepsis, and explores the underlying mechanisms of cytokine storms and potential therapeutic interventions. Cytokine storms are characterized primarily by the excessive release of proinflammatory cytokines, which are triggered by pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs), damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs), and PANoptosis, all of which activate immune signaling cascades. Amplifi

SUBMITTER: Fan JB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12794442 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature