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Adjunctive immune therapy for fungal infections
1Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, NY 10461, USA. casadeva@aecom.yu.edu
Abstract:
Fungal infections in immunocompromised patients can pose difficult problems in clinical management, because the available antifungal chemotherapy is often unable to eradicate the infection in these people. Hence, the use of immune modulating therapy to augment impaired host immune responses--and thus enhance the efficacy of antifungal drugs--is a reasonable approach to improve the prognosis of fungal infections. Advances in biotechnology have produced a variety of biological response modifiers with the potential to serve as adjunctive immune therapy for the treatment of fungal infections, including cytokines, monoclonal antibodies, and cell growth factors. In recent years, immune-modulating therapies have been studied in an effort to define their potential use for the treatment of fungal infections. Much of the available information on the use of this approach is encouraging and invites further investigation--with the caveats that the information is mostly anecdotal and that immune-modulating therapy occasionally has produced adverse effects.
Insights
Adjunctive immune modulating therapy shows promise for treating fungal infections in immunocompromised patients. This approach may enhance antifungal drug efficacy, but further research is needed due to anecdotal evidence and potential adverse effects.
Area of Science:
- Medical Mycology
- Immunology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Fungal infections present significant challenges in immunocompromised patients.
- Current antifungal chemotherapy often fails to eradicate infections in this population.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the potential of immune modulating therapy as an adjunctive treatment for fungal infections.
- To enhance the efficacy of antifungal drugs by augmenting host immune responses.
Main Methods:
- Review of recent studies on immune-modulating therapies for fungal infections.
- Investigation of biological response modifiers such as cytokines, monoclonal antibodies, and cell growth factors.
Main Results:
- Encouraging preliminary data suggests immune-modulating therapies can improve outcomes.
- Information is largely anecdotal, highlighting the need for more rigorous investigation.
Conclusions:
- Immune-modulating therapy is a promising adjunctive approach for fungal infections.
- Further research is warranted to establish safety and efficacy, considering potential adverse effects.