Immunopharmacology

Question 1

Immunosuppressants are used to

Answer 1

inhibit normal immune responses following organ transplant or overactive immune response associated with autoimmune disorders

Question 2

What is the first line tx for autoimmune disorders?

Answer 2

Adrenocorticosteriods

Question 3

What are inhibitors of novo purine synthesis used for?

Answer 3

used for maintenance … effects are not seen for several weeks

cytotoxic?

Question 4

What are two examples of inhibitors of de novo purine synthesis?

Answer 4

Azathioprine
Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF)

Question 5

What is special about MMF?

Answer 5

It lacks cardiovascular risk and chronic nephrotoxic secondary effects

Question 6

What immunosuppressives are kinase and phosphatase inhibitors?

Answer 6

Cyclopsorine
Tacrolimus
Sirolimus

Question 7

Cyclosporine associates with … and inhibits …

Answer 7

associated with calcineurin and inhibits its phosphatase activity which in turn, prevents the transloaction of members of he NFAT cell family of transcription factors from the cytoplasm of the nucleus of activated T cells

Question 8

What is Belatacept?

Answer 8

A protein immunosuppressive drug that acts by inhibiting CD28-mediated-T cell costimulation

It is a high affinity mutant form of T-lymphocyte associated antigen 4-IgG1 that binds to CD80 and CD86 on APCs, blocking engagement of CD28 on T cells and preventing T cell activation

Question 9

What are hopes for Belatacept use?

Answer 9

that it would be an efficient drug for long-term successful translates b/c (via its mechanism of action) it seems to SPECIFICALLY TARGET IMMUNE REACTIONS AGAINST TRANSPLANTED ORGANS

Question 10

What is everolimus?

Answer 10

a drug used after renal transplant b/c it shows little nephrotoxicity

Question 11

Immunostimulants are theoretically beneficial for patients with ..

Answer 11

immune deficiencies

immune deficiencies constitute a group of disorders in which normal host defenses against diseases are impaired

Question 12

What is the activity of most immunostimulants like?

Answer 12

most have a nonspecific activity towards the immune system

Question 13

Acemannan

Answer 13

complex carbohydrate with immune simulating and antiviral properies

strongly induces macrophage activity and production of IL-1

Question 14

Certain results suggest that active immunostimulant in Aloe Vera is

Answer 14

aloeride

Question 15

QS-21

Answer 15

one of the most promising adjuvant for immune response potentiation BUT it seems that the future of QS-21 is jeopardized by the frequent vaccination site pain and past vaccination myalgias reported during clinical trials