Harnessing the power of Vitamin C to improve the cardiovascular management of septic shock

Associate Professor Yugeesh Lankadeva, The University of Melbourne

2021 Vanguard Grant

Years funded: 2022-2023

Septic shock is a life-threatening condition in response to an infection that causes dangerous falls in blood pressure. It is the leading cause of death in intensive care units worldwide. Drugs, such as noradrenaline, are given to restore blood pressure, but frequently their effectiveness declines, resulting in severe falls in blood pressure, organ failure and death.

Associate Professor Yugeesh Lankadeva and his team recently discovered that a megadose of vitamin C, 20-50 x greater than previously used in septic patients, improved blood pressure management in experimental septic shock, and in a COVID-19 patient with septic shock. The aim of the project is to find the minimum dose of vitamin C required in septic shock to optimally restore blood pressure, and blood flow and oxygen delivery to the brain and kidneys to reduce sepsis-induced dysfunction of vital organs and examine its mechanisms of action. Associate Professor Yugeesh Lankadeva's studies are crucial for the design of future clinical trials using vitamin C to improve cardiovascular management of septic patients, for whom effective therapies are currently lacking.