Abstract
In the last decades of the 20th century, infectious diseases have re-emerged as a significant public health problem in the developed world. However, the available anti-infective armamentarium has proven to be alarmingly insufficient to combat many of the microbes that cause these diseases, such as drug resistant microbes, microbes for which therapy is not available or ineffective because of underlying host immune impairment, and microbes that only cause disease in the setting of impaired immunity but are not pathogens in normal individuals. Hence, there is an urgent need for new approaches to the treatment of infectious diseases that can increase the efficacy of anti-infective therapy and bolster the immune response to microbial agents in immunocompromised hosts, circumvent rising rates of antimicrobial drug resistance and be rapidly developed to fight emerging epidemics. Immune therapy, which encompasses pathogen-specific and non-pathogen specific modalities designed to augment or restore host immunity against disease causing microbes, are poised to play an important part in modern anti-infective therapy. Our growing understanding of host-microbe interaction and mechanisms of protective immunity have allowed for an increasingly rational approach to the design of immune based therapeutic modalities. As part of this effort, it is important to remember that the origin of modern anti-infective therapy was serum therapy, a pathogen-specific immune therapeutic modality. In this paper, we review the historical underpinnings and present and future applications of immune therapy for infectious diseases in light of current challenges to the field.
Keywords: immune therapy, serum therapy, antibody, antibody-based therapy, cytokines, therapeutic vaccination, immunocompromised host, antimicrobial resistance, host defense, emerging infectious diseases
Current Pharmaceutical Design
Title: Immune Therapy for Infectious Diseases at the Dawn of the 21st Century: the Past, Present and Future Role of Antibody Therapy, Therapeutic Vaccination and Biological Response Modifiers
Volume: 9 Issue: 12
Author(s): U. K. Buchwald and L. Pirofski
Affiliation:
Keywords: immune therapy, serum therapy, antibody, antibody-based therapy, cytokines, therapeutic vaccination, immunocompromised host, antimicrobial resistance, host defense, emerging infectious diseases
Abstract: In the last decades of the 20th century, infectious diseases have re-emerged as a significant public health problem in the developed world. However, the available anti-infective armamentarium has proven to be alarmingly insufficient to combat many of the microbes that cause these diseases, such as drug resistant microbes, microbes for which therapy is not available or ineffective because of underlying host immune impairment, and microbes that only cause disease in the setting of impaired immunity but are not pathogens in normal individuals. Hence, there is an urgent need for new approaches to the treatment of infectious diseases that can increase the efficacy of anti-infective therapy and bolster the immune response to microbial agents in immunocompromised hosts, circumvent rising rates of antimicrobial drug resistance and be rapidly developed to fight emerging epidemics. Immune therapy, which encompasses pathogen-specific and non-pathogen specific modalities designed to augment or restore host immunity against disease causing microbes, are poised to play an important part in modern anti-infective therapy. Our growing understanding of host-microbe interaction and mechanisms of protective immunity have allowed for an increasingly rational approach to the design of immune based therapeutic modalities. As part of this effort, it is important to remember that the origin of modern anti-infective therapy was serum therapy, a pathogen-specific immune therapeutic modality. In this paper, we review the historical underpinnings and present and future applications of immune therapy for infectious diseases in light of current challenges to the field.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Buchwald K. U. and Pirofski L., Immune Therapy for Infectious Diseases at the Dawn of the 21st Century: the Past, Present and Future Role of Antibody Therapy, Therapeutic Vaccination and Biological Response Modifiers, Current Pharmaceutical Design 2003; 9 (12) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1381612033455189
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1381612033455189 |
Print ISSN 1381-6128 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-4286 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Blood-based biomarkers in large-scale screening for neurodegenerative diseases
Disease biomarkers are necessary tools that can be employ in several clinical context of use (COU), ranging from the (early) diagnosis, prognosis, prediction, to monitor of disease state and/or drug efficacy. Regarding neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Alzheimer’s disease (AD), a battery of well-validated biomarkers are available, such as cerebrospinal fluid ...read more
Current Pharmaceutical challenges in the treatment and diagnosis of neurological dysfunctions
Neurological dysfunctions (MND, ALS, MS, PD, AD, HD, ALS, Autism, OCD etc..) present significant challenges in both diagnosis and treatment, often necessitating innovative approaches and therapeutic interventions. This thematic issue aims to explore the current pharmaceutical landscape surrounding neurological disorders, shedding light on the challenges faced by researchers, clinicians, and ...read more
Diabetes mellitus: advances in diagnosis and treatment driving by precision medicine
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic degenerative metabolic disease with ever increasing prevalence worldwide which is now an epidemic disease affecting 500 million people worldwide. Insufficient insulin secretion from pancreatic β cells unable to maintain blood glucose homeostasis is the main feature of this disease. Multifactorial and complex nature of ...read more
Emerging and re-emerging diseases
Faced with a possible endemic situation of COVID-19, the world has experienced two important phenomena, the emergence of new infectious diseases and/or the resurgence of previously eradicated infectious diseases. Furthermore, the geographic distribution of such diseases has also undergone changes. This context, in turn, may have a strong relationship with ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Preventing and Treating Anthracycline-Related Cardiotoxicity in Survivors of Childhood Cancer
Current Cancer Therapy Reviews Inflammation, Atrial Fibrillation and Cardiac Surgery: Current Medical and Invasive Approaches for the Treatment of Atrial Fibrillation
Current Pharmaceutical Design Chemotherapeutic Options for Colorectal Cancer Patients with Cardiovascular Diseases.
Reviews on Recent Clinical Trials Systemic Sclerosis: Clinical Manifestations
Current Rheumatology Reviews The Perils, Pitfalls and Opportunities of Using High Sensitivity Cardiac Troponin
Current Medicinal Chemistry Perioperative Considerations in Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients
Current Rheumatology Reviews Biochemical Markers in the Prediction of Contrast-induced Acute Kidney Injury
Current Medicinal Chemistry Structural Biology of Bacterial Secretion Systems in Gram-Negative Pathogens- Potential for New Drug Targets
Infectious Disorders - Drug Targets Inflammation Fueling Atrial Fibrillation Substrate: Seeking Ways to "Cool" the Heart
Medicinal Chemistry Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance for Evaluation of Heart Involvement in ANCA-Associated Vasculitis. A Luxury or a Valuable Diagnostic Tool?
Inflammation & Allergy - Drug Targets (Discontinued) Cardiovascular Involvement in Pediatric Systemic Autoimmune Diseases: The Emerging Role of Noninvasive Cardiovascular Imaging
Inflammation & Allergy - Drug Targets (Discontinued) Incremental Value of Two Dimensional Speckle Tracking Echocardiography in the Functional Assessment and Characterization of Subclinical Left Ventricular Dysfunction
Current Cardiology Reviews Genomics Approaches For Improving Salinity Stress Tolerance in Crop Plants
Current Genomics A Review on the Drug Delivery Strategies for Parasitic Infections: Scope and Assertion
Drug Delivery Letters Cardiovascular Effects of Methotrexate in Rheumatoid Arthritis Revisited
Current Medicinal Chemistry Pharmacological Properties of Physical Exercise in The Elderly
Current Pharmaceutical Design Association of Viruses in the Development of Cardiovascular Diseases
Current Pharmaceutical Design Myocardial Perfusion SPECT Imaging in Patients after Coronary Revascularization
Vascular Disease Prevention (Discontinued) Cardiac Amyloidosis Responding to Bortezomib: Case Report and Review of Literature
Current Cardiology Reviews Cardiovascular Manifestations of COVID-19
Current Cardiology Reviews