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Enhancement of Host Defense Mechanisms by Pharmacological Agents

Enhancement of Host Defense Mechanisms by Pharmacological Agents The current use of pharmacologic agents in the treatment of infectious or neoplastic diseases is based, for the most part, on the ability of such drugs to interfere with the metabolism of the invasive organism or cell. This may be successful in the case of bacterial and protozoal infections because of metabolic differences from host cells that allow selective attack. In the case of neoplastic and virus-infected cells, meta­ bolic pathway differences from normal host cells may be subtle, a fact that may at least in part explain the frequent toxicity of agents found to be active against these abnormal cells. Occasionally, this toxicity is manifested by suppression of host defenses which are important for prevention or cure. Therefore, as new phar­ macologic agents are developed, it is important to define their effects on host defenses, and to influence these defenses favorably. This review has been organized along the lines of traditional immunologic and nonimmunologic host defenses in order to provide a rational basis for understanding the effects of some of the newer agents under development (Table I). This task is difficult because in some cases the mechanism of action of an agent may not be well defined; http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology Annual Reviews

Enhancement of Host Defense Mechanisms by Pharmacological Agents

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Publisher
Annual Reviews
Copyright
Copyright 1975 Annual Reviews. All rights reserved
Subject
Review Articles
ISSN
0362-1642
eISSN
1545-4304
DOI
10.1146/annurev.pa.15.040175.001105
pmid
1096788
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

The current use of pharmacologic agents in the treatment of infectious or neoplastic diseases is based, for the most part, on the ability of such drugs to interfere with the metabolism of the invasive organism or cell. This may be successful in the case of bacterial and protozoal infections because of metabolic differences from host cells that allow selective attack. In the case of neoplastic and virus-infected cells, meta­ bolic pathway differences from normal host cells may be subtle, a fact that may at least in part explain the frequent toxicity of agents found to be active against these abnormal cells. Occasionally, this toxicity is manifested by suppression of host defenses which are important for prevention or cure. Therefore, as new phar­ macologic agents are developed, it is important to define their effects on host defenses, and to influence these defenses favorably. This review has been organized along the lines of traditional immunologic and nonimmunologic host defenses in order to provide a rational basis for understanding the effects of some of the newer agents under development (Table I). This task is difficult because in some cases the mechanism of action of an agent may not be well defined;

Journal

Annual Review of Pharmacology and Toxicology – Annual Reviews

Published: Apr 1, 1975

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