Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026

Assessment of Antibody-based Drugs Effects on Murine Bone Marrow and Peritoneal Macrophage Activation
Published on: December 26, 2017
Immunomodulator drugs: Mechanism of action and systemic effects
Nikita Goswami1, Amit Mishra2, Vijay Kumar Prajapati1
1Department of Biochemistry, University of Delhi South Campus, Dhaula Kuan, New Delhi, India.
Abstract:
Immunomodulatory drugs or immunomodulators have now become mainstream therapeutic medicine in the field of pharmaceutical industry. They represent a unique class of drug products that are natural or synthetic substances, holding tremendous potential to modulate both innate and adaptive immunity, either by boosting or repressing the immune response. Immunomodulators have shown therapeutic benefits in the treatment of various infections, cancer, autoimmune diseases, as well as in organ transplantation. These drugs are classified into two major categories, immunostimulant and immunosuppressant drugs. Immunostimulant drugs can enhance the body's immune system by increasing the activity of lymphocytes and by producing various serum antibodies and cytokines to fight against various infections, tumors, primary or secondary immunodeficiency. In contrast, immunosuppressant drugs are used to suppress or reduce the immune response during organ transplants, chronic inflammation, and in autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, pemphigus, and lupus erythematosus. This chapter provides a cross-sectional perspective on the mechanism of immunostimulatory as well as of immunosuppressive therapeutics and their systemic effects on the human body.
Related Concept Videos
Drugs for Treatment of Crohn's Disease in IBD Using Immunomodulatory Agents
Principles of Drug Action
Drugs can be agonists or antagonists. Like the endogenous ligands, agonists always bind and activate the target to produce a cellular response. Agonist binding induces a conformational change which in turn...
Inflammatory Bowel Disease IV: Pharmacological Management
Pharmacologic...
Combined Effects of Drugs: Antagonism
The most common type is receptor antagonism, where one drug acts as an antagonist to block the effects of another drug by...
Drugs Used in Lower Respiratory Disorders: Overview
Bronchodilators, the first step of respiration enhancement, come in various forms, each with its own mechanism...
Drugs for Treatment of Ulcerative Colitis in IBD
