Immunostimulant
Immunostimulants, also known as immunostimulators, are substances (drugs and nutrients) that stimulate the
Classification
There are two main categories of immunostimulants:[1]
- Specific immunostimulants provide antigenic specificity in immune response, such as vaccines or any antigen.
- Non-specific immunostimulants act irrespective of antigenic specificity to augment immune response of other antigen or stimulate components of the immune system without antigenic specificity, such as adjuvants and non-specific immunostimulators.
Non-specific
Many endogenous substances are non-specific immunostimulators. For example,
Some publications point towards the effect of deoxycholic acid (DCA) as an immunostimulant[9][10][11] of the non-specific immune system, activating its main actors, the macrophages. According to these publications, a sufficient amount of DCA in the human body corresponds to a good immune reaction of the non-specific immune system.[citation needed]
Claims made by marketers of various products and alternative health providers, such as chiropractors, homeopaths, and acupuncturists to be able to stimulate or "boost" the immune system generally lack meaningful explanation and evidence of effectiveness.[12]
Uses
Immunostimulants have been recommended to help prevent acute illness related to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and they are sometimes used to treat chronic bronchitis.[13] The evidence in the form of high quality clinical trials to support their use is weak, however, there is some evidence of benefit and they appear to be safe.[14] The most commonly used immunostimulant type for this purpose are bacterial-derived immunostimulants. The goal is to stimulate the person's immune system in order to prevent future infections that may result in an acute episode or exacerbation of COPD.[14]
See also
General
- Antigen
- Co-stimulation
- Immunogenicity
- Immunologic adjuvant
- Immunomodulator
- Immunotherapy
Endogenous immunostimulants
- Deoxycholic acid, a stimulator of macrophages
Synthetic immunostimulants
- Imiquimod and resiquimod, activate immune cells through the toll-like receptor 7
References
- PMID 21288444.
- ISBN 978-0-12-415847-4.
- PMID 15507385.
- PMID 10381821.
- S2CID 23941507.
- PMID 10655462.
- PMID 10857555.
- PMID 15798098.
- PMID 4398280.
- ^ Vlček, B (1972). "Potentiation of the immune response with DCA". Praktický Lékař (in Czech). 52: 326–330.
- ^ Chyle, M; Chyle, P (1982). "Regulation of the immune response with DCA". Sborník Lékařský (in Czech). 84: 212–218. (English summary)
- ^ Hall, Harriet (July–August 2020). "How You Can Really Boost Your Immune System". Skeptical Inquirer. Amherst, New York: Center for Inquiry. Archived from the original on 21 January 2021. Retrieved 21 January 2021.
- ^ Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease – GOLD (2023). "2023 GOLD Report". Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease - GOLD. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ PMID 36373977.
External links
- Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology journal
- Immunostimulants at the U.S. National Library of Medicine Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
- Deoxycholic acid as immunostimulant