Immunopharmacology Flashcards
What are the three main applications of immunosuppressants?
- Suppression of rejection to transplanted organs and tissue.
- Suppression of GVHD which arises from donor lymphocytes.
- Combat autoimmune diseases.
What are the tissues targeted by immunocompetent cells in donor grafts?
Liver, skin, mucosa, gut.
What is rheumatoid arthritis?
Autoimmune disease primarily affecting the joints.
What is lupus?
Multi-organ auto-immune disease characterized by rash on cheeks.
What is ulcerative colitis?
T-cell infiltration and ulceration in the colon.
What is psoriasis?
Auto-immune disease leading to scaly patches of skin
What are the two main stages of the immune response?
- Induction phase.
2. Effector phase.
What are the two stages of of the induction phase?
- Antigen presentation.
2. Clonal expansion and maturation.
Explain what happens in the antigen presentation stage:
Antigen presenting cell presents antigen to CD4 (Helper T-cell). This activates autocrine response in CD4 cells by releasing IL-2.
The helper T-cells then begin to divide.
Explain what happens in the clonal expansion stage:
Helper T-cells differentiate into Th1 and Th2 cells.
What do Th1 cells become?
Killer/helper T-cells that initiate cell-mediated responses against foreign/infected cells.
What do Th2 cells become?
They activate B-cells.
What do B-cells produce?
Antibodies.
What do Th1 cells produce?
Cytokines.
What are the five sites of immunosuppressant regulation?
- Inhibition of IL-2.
- Inhibition of cytokine gene expression.
- Cytotoxicity to kill immune cells.
- Inhibition of nucleic acid synthesis.
- Blockage of T-cell surface receptors to prevent antigen presentation.
