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Sudden and unexpected

Nature Genetics volume 39, pages 1422–1423 (2007)Cite this article

Infections have been implicated in sudden and unexpected deaths, but evidence of causality and insights into underlying mechanisms are lacking. Now, a new study in mice identifies a homeostatic mechanism that seems critical for stabilizing the host response after microbial infection.

Sudden and unexpected death is rare, but it remains the main cause of postneonatal mortality. Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) accounts for 20–25% of deaths in children younger than 1 year of age; moreover, unexpected and unexplained deaths also occur in adults, and there are almost as many different hypotheses on the underlying mechanisms as there are cases. On page 1453 of this issue, Croker et al.1 describe interesting studies in mice that might shed some light on one of Nature's frightening 'swords of Damocles'.

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Figure 1: Comparison of physiological responses to endotoxemia in wild-type (right) and Kir6.1-deficient mice (left).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Rudi Balling is at the Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Inhoffenstrasse 7, Braunschweig, Lower Saxony 38124, Germany. rudi.balling@helmholtz-hzi.de,

    Rudi Balling

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  1. Rudi Balling
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Balling, R. Sudden and unexpected. Nat Genet 39, 1422–1423 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1207-1422

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ng1207-1422

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