TY - JOUR
T1 - Promising immunotherapies with Th1-related cytokines against infectious diseases
AU - Kawakami, Kazuyoshi
N1 - Funding Information:
members of Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Graduate School and Faculty of Medicine, University of the Ryukyus, for their collaboration in this study. This work was supported by Grants-in-Aid for Science Research (C) (09670292 and 12670261) from the Ministry of Education, Science, and Culture, Japan, and by Grants from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Japan.
PY - 2003/9
Y1 - 2003/9
N2 - In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of individuals with compromised immune systems. This is due to the rise in the numbers of aging people, patients receiving immunosuppressive treatment after organ transplantation, patients with hematological malignancies, and patients with AIDS. These individuals frequently fall into helper T cell (Th)1-Th2 cytokine imbalance due to a shift towards a Th2-dominant condition. Such a pathological condition puts them at a high risk for developing infectious diseases caused by a variety of microbial pathogens which are often refractory to conventional chemotherapy. Therefore, the administration of Th1-related cytokines is expected to be promising immunotherapy against these intractable infectious diseases. In a series of investigations, we have demonstrated the effectiveness of treatment with Th1-related cytokines, such as interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-12, and IL-18, in protecting animals from experimental infectious diseases caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Cryptococcus neoformans. Recently, several investigators reported successful clinical treatment with IFN-γ or IL-12 in patients with intractable tuberculous and non-tuberculous mycobacteriosis. Thus, now is an appropriate time for scientific evaluation to clinically confirm the effectiveness of these novel immunotherapies.
AB - In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of individuals with compromised immune systems. This is due to the rise in the numbers of aging people, patients receiving immunosuppressive treatment after organ transplantation, patients with hematological malignancies, and patients with AIDS. These individuals frequently fall into helper T cell (Th)1-Th2 cytokine imbalance due to a shift towards a Th2-dominant condition. Such a pathological condition puts them at a high risk for developing infectious diseases caused by a variety of microbial pathogens which are often refractory to conventional chemotherapy. Therefore, the administration of Th1-related cytokines is expected to be promising immunotherapy against these intractable infectious diseases. In a series of investigations, we have demonstrated the effectiveness of treatment with Th1-related cytokines, such as interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-12, and IL-18, in protecting animals from experimental infectious diseases caused by Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Cryptococcus neoformans. Recently, several investigators reported successful clinical treatment with IFN-γ or IL-12 in patients with intractable tuberculous and non-tuberculous mycobacteriosis. Thus, now is an appropriate time for scientific evaluation to clinically confirm the effectiveness of these novel immunotherapies.
KW - IFN-γ
KW - IL-12
KW - IL-18, infectious disease
KW - Immunotherapy
KW - Th1-Th2 cytokine balance
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U2 - 10.1007/s10156-003-0263-5
DO - 10.1007/s10156-003-0263-5
M3 - Review article
C2 - 14513386
AN - SCOPUS:0142121766
VL - 9
SP - 201
EP - 209
JO - Journal of Infection and Chemotherapy
JF - Journal of Infection and Chemotherapy
SN - 1341-321X
IS - 3
ER -