How trauma impacts healing: one surgeon’s quest to prevent complications
For patients who suffer severe trauma, recovery often is more complicated than simply surviving the initial injury. Their immune systems undergo profound changes, making them more susceptible to complications such as infections and poor wound healing. Dr. Jennifer Leonard, a trauma surgeon and researcher, is dedicated to improving outcomes for these patients by uncovering how trauma alters immune function and developing targeted therapies to enhance recovery.
The challenge of healing after trauma
Patients who experience massive blood loss and require transfusions often face greater challenges in healing compared to those who undergo surgery without prior severe illness or injury. Research has shown that the immune system undergoes significant changes after trauma – either becoming hyperactive or suppressed. Understanding these immune shifts is crucial to developing interventions that prevent complications and improve survival rates.
“One of the biggest challenges in trauma recovery is that the body’s own defense mechanisms can sometimes work against it,” said Leonard, associate professor of surgery in the Division of Trauma, Bariatric and Acute Care Surgery at Baylor. “We are learning how to fine-tune these responses to improve healing.”
Leonard’s research focuses on neutrophils, a type of white blood cell that becomes hyperactive following injury. Her team has discovered that this hyperactivity contributes to complications such as pneumonia, which affects trauma patients who require mechanical ventilation at nearly twice the rate of other ventilated patients.
“Pneumonia rates in trauma patients can be as high as 40%, significantly increasing mortality and hospital stay lengths,” Leonard said. “By understanding the mechanisms behind this, we can develop strategies to intervene early.”
Through laboratory studies, Leonard’s team has identified that a process called neutrophil NETosis is linked to an increased risk of lung injury and post-traumatic pneumonia. By targeting and inhibiting this specific process – without altering the overall immune response – they have found promising results in improving survival in animal models. Interestingly, similar treatments are already FDA-approved for diseases such as cystic fibrosis, opening the door for potential applications in trauma care.
Paving the way for new therapies
With these findings, Leonard aims to develop novel therapies that help trauma patients heal more effectively and avoid life-threatening complications. By pinpointing specific immune pathways that can be modulated, her work could lead to groundbreaking treatments that significantly improve patient outcomes.
Current statistics indicate that trauma-related infections contribute to nearly 30% of all preventable deaths in critically injured patients. Leonard hopes that her research will drastically reduce these numbers.
“Our goal is to turn these discoveries into real-world treatments that can be implemented in trauma centers nationwide,” Leonard said. “If we can reduce infection rates and improve survival even by a small percentage, we will be making a meaningful difference in the lives of thousands of patients each year.”
The goal is clear: to take what is learned in the lab and translate it into real-world solutions that help trauma patients recover faster and with fewer complications. Through continued research and innovation, Leonard and her team are pushing the boundaries of what is possible in trauma care, offering hope for a future where severe injury does not mean a prolonged or complicated recovery.
By Tiffany Harston, senior communications associate in the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery
