抑鈣素原(procalcitonin; ProCT)擁有可以早期診斷、能夠區分出非細菌感染的病症、以及可以做為疾病進展及預後的指標等特性。而且，相較於目前所使用的各項指標，例如：C反應蛋白(CRP)、周邊白血球計數和臨床症狀，抑鈣素原更有著札實的科學証據，目前已成為敗血症重要的生物指標(biomarker)。尤其重要的是，以抑鈣素原作為治療上的指標時，可以明顯地降低抗生素的使用量，並進而控制抗生素的濫用以及減少抗藥菌種的產生。另外，以抑鈣素原具有荷爾蒙媒介物的特性，免疫中和(immunoneutralization)的應用未來將可開啓敗血症治療的新契機。

Many recent researches have demonstrated the efficacy of using the prohormone procalcitonin (ProCT) as a biomarker for severe sepsis. ProCT takes the advantage of its early and highly specific increase in response to clinically relevant bacterial infections and sepsis comparing with other parameters (such as CRP, WBC count). It seems to be a promising tool to monitor the progression and the prognosis of the disease. Importantly, treat patients with ProCT as a guide substantially will reduce antibiotic use and therefore prevent antibiotic overuse and the emerging resistant strains. Besides, immunoneutralization of ProCT is possible and it may open up a new therapeutic era for sepsis in the future.