Immunosuppression is crucial in treating autoimmune diseases, inflammation, and preventing organ transplant rejection. Immunostimulation, often misconstrued as 'immune boosting,' is scientifically practiced through vaccination, which trains the immune system to fight infections without causing disease. The text delves into the immune system's role in tumor surveillance and the challenges of cancer immunotherapy. It also discusses the importance of assessing immunogenicity in the development of biopharmaceuticals, utilizing computational tools for safer drug design.
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Immunosuppression is the medical reduction of the immune system's activity, used to treat autoimmune diseases, inflammatory conditions, and organ transplantation
Anti-inflammatory Agents
Corticosteroids and cytotoxic agents are used to reduce inflammation in the body
T Cell Activation Inhibitors
Drugs like cyclosporine are used to inhibit T cell activation pathways, reducing their ability to mount an immune response
Immunosuppressive treatments require careful monitoring to balance therapeutic benefits with potential adverse effects, such as increased infection risk, metabolic disturbances, and bone density loss
Immunostimulation refers to the enhancement of the immune system's defensive capabilities, typically achieved through medical interventions like vaccines
Claims of being able to "boost" the immune system are often vague and lack empirical support, and consumers should seek out evidence-based approaches to immunostimulation
Vaccines are a scientifically validated method of immunostimulation, preparing the immune system for future encounters with pathogens
Vaccination is a preventive strategy that introduces a pathogen's antigen to the immune system, prompting it to develop targeted immunity without causing illness
Inactivated Pathogens
Some vaccines contain inactivated pathogens to elicit a protective response without causing disease
Antigen Components
Other vaccines may contain parts of the pathogen, such as proteins or sugars, to stimulate an immune response
Genetic Material
Some vaccines use genetic material to instruct cells to produce a specific antigen
Adjuvants are often included in vaccines to enhance the immune response by stimulating antigen-presenting cells
Immune surveillance is the immune system's detection and destruction of malignant cells
Effector T cells, particularly cytotoxic T lymphocytes, play a pivotal role in targeting and killing tumor cells
Downregulation of MHC Class I Molecules
Tumors can evade immune detection by downregulating MHC class I molecules
Secretion of Immunosuppressive Factors
Tumors can also secrete immunosuppressive factors like TGF-β to evade immune detection
Some tumors induce immune tolerance, while macrophages can contribute to tumor progression by supporting angiogenesis and metastasis
Immunogenicity is the potential of a substance, particularly therapeutic proteins and peptides, to elicit an immune response
Immunogenicity is a critical consideration in the development of biologic drugs, as the immune system may produce antibodies that neutralize the therapeutic agent
Advanced computational tools, including machine learning algorithms, are used to predict the immunogenic potential of biopharmaceuticals, aiding in drug design and evaluation
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Autoimmune diseases: immune system behavior
Immune system mistakenly attacks body's own cells.
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Role of inflammation in tissue damage
Uncontrolled inflammation leads to extensive tissue harm.
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Organ rejection in transplantation
Recipient's immune system may treat new organ as foreign, causing rejection.
