Israeli researchers have discovered a new treatment for hemorrhagic shock—severe blood loss caused by trauma—the Hebrew University of Jerusalem announced this week.
The treatment, which triples survival rates during hemorrhagic shock—the leading cause of preventable death in trauma cases—from 25% to 73%, involves activating a protein called PKC-ε soon after intense bleeding occurs.
The novel therapeutic approach helps to maintain healthy organ function by boosting cellular energy levels, offering hope for improved outcomes in emergency trauma care, the university said.
“Massive hemorrhage remains one of the most critical challenges faced in emergency medicine, particularly in battlefield and civilian trauma scenarios,” said Dr. Ariel Furer, a Hebrew University co-author of the study. “Our findings suggest that activating PKC-ε can be a highly effective therapeutic approach, potentially transforming trauma care by providing frontline medical responders with a powerful tool to improve patient outcomes.”
The finding from the study, which was carried out jointly by researchers at the Jerusalem university and the IDF Medical Corps, was published in the prestigious journal Scientific Reports.
