Post-translational modifications in sepsis: Mechanistic insights and therapeutic opportunities

Sepsis, a life-threatening condition marked by systemic inflammation and multi-organ dysfunction, poses a persistent clinical challenge. Post-translational modifications (PTMs) dynamically regulated inflammatory signaling, immune responses, and cell death, positioning them as a pivotal focus in sepsis research. This review systematically explores the regulatory networks of five key PTMs – phosphorylation, ubiquitination, SUMOylation, acetylation, and lactylation – in sepsis. In this review, we highlight recent discoveries of genes and molecules that modulate these PTMs, influencing inflammation and organ dysfunction, and evaluate their potential as therapeutic targets or prognostic biomarkers. Furthermore, we discuss how PTMs offer novel therapeutic opportunities, providing novel insights to address the shortcomings of traditional anti-infective approaches.