May 5, 2025 – A promising new therapeutic approach to treating hemorrhagic shock, which is the leading cause of preventable death in trauma cases, has been developed by the Hebrew University of Jerusalem as part of a research team.

The study, published in Nature Scientific Reports, demonstrates that activating the enzyme Protein Kinase C epsilon (PKC-ε) significantly improves early survival rates and physiological stability following severe hemorrhage. It was led by Dr. Ariel Furer and Dr. Maya Simchoni from the Hebrew University Institute for Research in Military Medicine.

“Massive hemorrhage remains one of the most critical challenges faced in emergency medicine, particularly in battlefield and civilian trauma scenarios,” Dr. Furer says. “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 subjects in the study were treated with a PKC-ε activator peptide just five minutes after the onset of bleeding and showed dramatically improved survival. Three-quarters (73%) of treated subjects survived compared to only 25% of those left untreated, after a 35% blood loss leading to hemorrhagic shock. The biological models maintained significantly better cardiovascular stability, including blood pressure, heart rate, and cardiac output, all critical indicators of effective response during severe trauma.

Additionally, mitochondrial activity showed enhanced function within the heart tissues of models receiving the PKC-ε activator. As mitochondria are vital cellular energy producers, these findings suggest that activating PKC-ε helps maintain organ energy levels under stress, potentially protecting tissues against further damage associated with severe blood loss.

The implications of this study are far-reaching. Current therapeutic strategies for severe hemorrhagic shock often involve fluid resuscitation, which can unintentionally exacerbate tissue damage by triggering ischemic-reperfusion injury. This new approach—administering a PKC-ε activator peptide—has the potential to significantly minimize these detrimental effects, thereby improving survival chances and reducing complications associated with severe trauma.

Further clinical research is necessary before this treatment can be widely adopted in clinical settings.

The research paper titled “Protein kinase C epsilon activation improves early survival in an acute porcine model of controlled hemorrhage” is now available in Nature Scientific Reports and can be accessed here.

Researchers:
Maya Simchoni1,2, LinnWagnert-Avraham1, Estela Derazne3, Dean Nachman1,4, YuvalGershon1,2, Eliraz Cohen Levi1,2, Adi Horesh1,2, Yaron Cohen1,2, Maya Nitecki1,2, YuvalGlick1,2, 12, Arik Eisenkraft1, Nir Suissa4, GiladTwig6,7, 13, S. DavidGertz1,8, Ann Saada9,10, Ariel Furer1,2,11

Institutions:
1) The Institute for Research in Military Medicine (IRMM), Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
2) Israel Defense Forces Medical Corps, Ramat Gan, Israel
3) Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
4) Heart Institute, Hadassah Medical Center, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
5) Department of Neurology, Hadassah Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
6) Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
7) The Gertner Institute for Epidemiology and Health Policy Research, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
8) The Saul and Joyce Brandman Hub for Cardiovascular Research and the Department of Medical Neurobiology, Institute for Medical Research (IMRIC), Faculty of Medicine, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel
9) Department of Genetics, Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center, Jerusalem, Israel
10) Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, Jerusalem Multidisciplinary College, Jerusalem, Israel
11) The Olga and Lev Leviev Heart Center, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
12) Orthopedic Department, Assuta Ashdod University Hospital, Ashdod, Israel
13) Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel