Welcome to the Data Center of Species Inspired Research for Innovative Treatments (SPIRIT)
Most tissue damage from infectious disease is caused by secondary inflammation elicited in the host. Furthermore, identical pro-inflammatory stimuli from the same pathogen load causes markedly different amounts of inflammation in different species, different hosts, and even within a single individual. Given the prominent role of inflammation in most infections, tolerance to this inflammation is a likely major determinant of outcome and survival. SPIRIT (Species Inspired Research for Innovative Treatments) is a program developed to develop therapies for acute human diseases by taking advantage of underlying mechanisms of tolerance in different species. SPIRIT is one of the Technologies for Host Resilience (THoR) projects funded by DARPA.