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With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: Managing Infectious Complications from Immunomodulatory Medications
Katherine Quinn Newman Hudson1, Kelli W Williams2
1Department of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, 14 Lockwood Drive #7H, Charleston, SC 29401, USA.
Abstract:
Immunomodulating agents are used to treat various cancers, autoimmune disease, and inflammatory conditions. They have revolutionized the care of these patients and thus their use has become more widespread. Mechanistically, immunomodulators alter the activity of the immune system, commonly by stimulation or inhibition. However, with these great leaps in disease understanding and control, there are risks that come with augmentation and alteration of the immune system. This article reviews several commonly used and new targeted immunomodulator therapies, their associated infectious complications, and offers clinical management recommendations to reduce these infectious risks.
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