# Vascular syk-ness: A new role for an old immunological favorite

## TL;DR

A drug that inhibits Syk, an immune-related protein, can reduce vascular leakage and improve survival in a mouse model of sepsis, offering hope for treating ARDS.

## Contribution

The study reveals a new role for Syk in regulating vascular leakage during sepsis and suggests fostamatinib as a potential ARDS treatment.

## Key findings

- Syk regulates vascular leakage in response to sepsis.
- Fostamatinib, an FDA-approved Syk inhibitor, prevents vascular leakage in a mouse sepsis model.
- Fostamatinib improves survival in the sepsis model, suggesting potential clinical use for ARDS.

## Abstract

Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a deadly clinical presentation in sepsis, COVID, and other lung disorders where vascular fluid leakage is a severe problem. Recent findings by Shadab et al. in the JBC show that a well-known player in immune function, Syk, also regulates vascular leakage in response to sepsis. An existing FDA-approved inhibitor of Syk, fostamatinib, prevents the vascular leakage and improves survival in a mouse sepsis model, providing promise for ARDS treatment in the clinic.