Duke scientists have discovered a biomarker of the runaway immune response to infection called sepsis that could improve early diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment to save lives.  The new biomarker, a molecule called methylthioadenosine or MTA, can predict which patients are most likely to die from the illness.  The findings, which appeared March 8 in the journal Science Advances, could also help determine whether patients could benefit from therapies that either enhance or suppress the immune system, paving the way for new treatments.