The relationship between a host and a pathogen is dynamic, and its outcome
depends on the virulence of the invader and the relative degree of resistance or
susceptibility of the host at that particular occasion. Fortunately, only an infinitesimal
minority of microorganisms are able to avoid the host defenses and eventually cause
disease. The host has evolved multifaceted strategies for defending itself against
invasion, and pathogens have evolved their own strategies of counter-attack for host
defenses pointing us to the co-evolution of “defense” and “attack” mechanisms. Many
factors determine the outcome of the bacterium-host relationship. In this battle, the
development of antibiotics was a game-changing turn. Unfortunately, more and more
strains of pathogenic bacteria have become antibiotic resistant. One of this century’s
greatest medical challenges is the rapid emergence of multidrug-resistant pathogens.
Discovery of new antimicrobial classes and alternative therapeutic options would be
especially welcomed in this era. The fact that some bacterial infections might no longer
be successfully treated with antibiotics, combined with an increasing population
density and mobility, justifies the urgent demands for the development of novel
treatments, of which immunotherapies are considered most promising. Immuno
modulatory regimens offer an attractive approach as they often have fewer side effects
than existing drugs, including less potential for creating resistance in microbial
diseases. Nowadays, treating emerging chronic and multidrug-resistant infectious,
autoimmune and oncological diseases through reinforcement of the immune system
became a major priority.
Keywords: Antibiotics, Antibodies, Autoimmune diseases, Bacteria, Bacterial
infectivity, Cancer, Evasion immune system, Growth Factors, Host resistance,
Host defences, Immune response, Immune system, Immunomodulators, Immuno therapy, Interferons, Interleukins, Multiresistant Infection, Passive Immuno
therapy, Vaccines, Virulence.
