Severe sepsis and septic shock are still associated with high mortality rates. To improve the outcome, multidisciplinary interactions and cooperation between basic, clinical and industrial researchers are mandatory to develop new artificial or biological devices for the treatment of septic syndrome and related systemic complications. In the future, the development and validation of new biomarkers, aimed at an early diagnosis of sepsis, and the rigorous monitoring of the most significant prognostic indicators, could contribute to better understanding of the mechanisms underlying septic syndrome as well as to the timely institution of potentially effective treatments.