Despite all the advances in intensive care research and the further development of antibiotic therapy, sepsis is associated with virtually unchanged morbidity and mortality: 2-11% of patients requiring hospitalisation are diagnosed with this condition, and 50% of those who become ill show a lethal course, especially if septic shock and consecutive multi-organ failure develop. The pathognomonic feature of septic shock is the drop in systemic vascular resistance, which leads to arterial hypotension despite an increased cardiac output. Current research in this area is focused on testing new therapeutic approaches to reduce septic shock, slow down the generalised inflammatory reaction in the body and thus reduce multi-organ failure and ultimately mortality in the context of sepsis.