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Every year in the U.S. about 500,000 people go into shock from myriad causes, including massive bacterial infections called sepsis. The condition is fatal for about half of them. Finding better treatments has been exceptionally difficult, as several lines of research and possible drugs have hit dead ends.

Fortunately an existing drug is proving highly effective. Tradionally used to prevent bleeding in the esophagus, the hormone vasopressin has unexpectedly turned out to be powerful as a treatment for shock.

It is very important to treat the patient on time. Althought vasopressin is proving to be a vey effective drug, it has also some side effects. It can cause suddenn increase in B.P., skin necrosis at the site of drug administration and it has also a very low therapeutics index. The solution for these problems is to develop a similar drug but with no side effects. This purpose can be achived by developing a partial agonist of vasopressin.

Our lab has identified certain possible partal agonist of vasopressin which can be potentially used for the treatment of Vasodilatory shock. We are currently invesigating the effects of these new drugs on different human and animal arteries.