Nutritional Composition of the Main Edible Algae
Leonel Pereira in Therapeutic and Nutritional Uses of Algae, 2018
Laminaran has been extensively investigated for potential bio-functional activities. Algae polysaccharides have numerous biological activities because they enhance macrophage immune responses (Schepetkin and Quinn 2006). Similarly, laminaran can be used to achieve the activation of macrophages leading to immune-stimulatory, anti-tumor, and wound-healing activities (Ibrahim et al. 2005, Lee et al.. Thus, it is also termed as a biological response modifier (Bohn and BeMiller 1995). The biological activities of laminarans can be enhanced or modified using various techniques including irradiation, sulfation, reduction, and oxidation. During irradiation, the molecular weight of the laminarans investigated was reported to be significantly reduced with the formation of carbonyl groups. This is suggested to lead to enhanced anti-oxidant activities (Choi et al. 2011).
ASSESSMENT OF ANTICANCER AND IMMUNOMODULATORY ACTIVITY OF Asystasia travancorica Bedd. (ACANTHACEAE)
V. R. Mohan, A. Doss, P. S. Tresina in Ethnomedicinal Plants with Therapeutic Properties, 2019
The relation between immune states and the occurrence, growth, and decline of tumor is one of the essential problems in tumor immunology. Various biological response modifiers such as natural products having biological activity to enhance host defense system have been considered as a useful tool to inhibit tumor growth in cancer immunotherapy (Suto et al., 1994; Yoo et al., 1994). Immunity has been shown to be suppressed in cancer. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy, useful in cancer treatment, were found to deteriorate the immunity. In many cases, biological response modifiers activate immune-related cells, including NK cells, lymphokine cells, and macrophages, to control cancer growth (Yoon et al., 1998; Sakamaki et al., 1992). Their clinical applications are to boost the body’s general vitality or to treat a debilitating condition. Thus, the traditionally used natural resources to potentiate immune system and prevent tumor growth without direct cytotoxicity for tumor cells may be important for cancer therapy.
Biological Response Modifiers and Chemotherapeutic Agents that Alter Interleukin 2 Activities
Ronald H. Goldfarb, Theresa L. Whiteside in Tumor Immunology and Cancer Therapy, 2020
Immunopharmacology has as its goal the identification of agents that act on specific components of the immune system to either selectively enhance or suppress their activities. In a cancer-bearing host, agents of interest that modulate the immune system are of two general types: (a) immunosuppressants which are used as cytotoxic agents in cancer therapy and (b) biological response modifiers (BRMs) which enhance the immune response. More generally, BRMs are defined as those agents which modify a biological response to tumor cells with resultant therapeutic benefits. BRMs, whether biologic or chemical agents, are capable of restoring an immunologic balance in tumor-bearing hosts by enhancing antitumor functions of the immune system. In this respect, BRMs differ from classical modalities (surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy) used in therapy of cancer. Although most BRMs are investigational drugs, they present approaches that expand the possibility for successful treatment of conditions associated with altered immunological functions including cancer.
Targeted therapies for autoimmune/idiopathic nonmalignant diseases: risk and management of opportunistic infections
Published in Expert Opinion on Drug Safety, 2020
Davide Fiore Bavaro, Deborah Fiordelisi, Gioacchino Angarano, Laura Monno, Annalisa Saracino
The management of patients affected by many autoimmune/idiopathic diseases [1], malignancies, and organ transplants [2] has been revolutionized by the development of the so-called ‘biological drugs,’ usually named ‘Biologics,’ the first of which dates back to 1986 [3]. This term indicates a wide family of products, which are directed against many different targets; consequently, they can be classified on the basis of their mode of action, targeted site, or structural properties. [4] However, from a clinical point of view, at least three main categories can be distinguished: i. biological response modifiers (‘BRMs’: agents that exert a stimulating effect either enhancing or suppressing the immune system, e.g. interferons, interleukins, colony stimulating factors, etc.), ii. gene therapies (which act by replacing defective genes, stimulating immune response, changing drug activation state, blocking antiapoptotic mechanisms, using altered viruses to kill cancer cells, etc.), iii. targeted therapies (‘TT’: directly targeting the cells or pathways involved in disease pathophysiology, thus sparing normal tissues) [5]. TT can also be divided into monoclonal antibodies (mAb) and small molecules enzyme inhibitors. Notably, because of their remarkable efficacy in inhibiting the inflammatory cascade and slowing down the progression of autoimmune diseases, these molecules are considered essential in many clinical settings, and, in fact, numerous products are currently available and approved in various medical specialties [6].
Tocilizumab Employment in the Treatment of Resistant Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis Associated Uveitis
Published in Ocular Immunology and Inflammation, 2021
Arash Maleki, Ambika Manhapra, Soheila Asgari, Peter Y. Chang, C. Stephen Foster, Stephen D. Anesi
There were limitations of our study, since it was a retrospective study with a small sample size. In addition, we did not have a control group for comparison. This can be justified by the fact that all of patients in the study were resistant to at least one conventional IMT and biological response modifier agent. Continuing former conventional IMT might be another drawback of our study, since the effectiveness of IV-TCZ could be related to the synergistic effect of IV-TCZ in combination with other IMTs, and not the IV-TCZ itself.
The expression of IL-1β can deteriorate the prognosis of nervous system after spinal cord injury
Published in International Journal of Neuroscience, 2018
Tao Li, Yu-tang Li, Di-yu Song
Spinal cord injury is often caused by different degrees of injury which could cause different degrees of motor sensory dysfunction and had serious effect on the quality of life. Although the related diagnosis and treatment technology continue to improve in recent years, the prognosis of patients is still not very ideal and this research had always been a hot spot [1]. Secondary damage plays an important role in spinal cord injury, which is mainly due to the inflammation after trauma. Anakinra and other drugs are used to block or weaken associated inflammatory response regulator to relieve the reperfusion injury after spinal cord injury in the new treatment strategies. Primary spinal damage could lead to the irreversible death of neurons and continue to be lost within a few hours. There are some biochemistry and cellular and molecular mechanism involved in the progress of secondary neuronal death, and the main inflammatory reaction occurs mainly in the local spinal cord injury [2–5]. Present studies show that microglia is the main source of tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β), which could reduce the number of oligodendrocytes [6]. It is reported that the synthesis and secretion of IL-1β at injury site had increased in 1 h after spinal cord injury. IL-1β was involved in cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis and other cellular activity as an important mediator of the inflammatory reaction [7]. Anakinra could block the inflammatory reaction and slowed the degradation of cartilage as IL-1 receptor antagonist in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis. So it is considered as a ‘biological response modifier’, which could target select pathological factors in the treatment [4,8–10]. Based on this study, we used a rat model of spinal cord injury and used Anakinra to intervene at the same time to assess changes in cases of histologically and related biochemical indexes, to explore the effect of drug intervention, to provide guidance and reference value for clinical diagnosis and treatment and basic research.
Related Knowledge Centers
- Autoimmunity
- Cancer Immunology
- Cancer Treatment
- Immunosuppression
- Immunotherapy
- Arthritis
- Immune System
- Infection
- Medication
- Targeted Therapy