Immunosuppressants and Immunostimulants Flashcards
How Acquired Immunity Responses (AIR) occur?
- Repeated exposure to an antigen
- release of cytokines (including interleukin 2)
- Activate T-cells that destruct cells
OR - activate B-cells to produce antibodies
Examples of Immunosuppressants
cyclosporine and glucocorticoids
MOA of cyclosporine
inhibits a protein known as calcineurin that regulates a gene that controls the production of interleukin 2
MOA of glucocorticoids
cortisol receptor agonists and induce leukocyte apoptosis
Therapeutic uses for immunosuppressants
used to prevent organ and tissue transplant rejection, cyclosporine also used to treat psoriasis, RA, and chronic dry eyes
Pharmacotoxicology of immunosuppressants
secondary infections, lymphoma, htn and hyperglycemia
what is “active” immunotherapy?
antigen treatment that is dependent on triggering AIRs
“active, selective” immunotherapy is…?
antigen treatment that triggers a response against a specific antigen
Vaccines may be directed against what kind of specific pathogens?
- Whole bacteria
- Capsular polysaccharides
- Whole virus
- Viral antigens
- mRNA
Examples of whole bacteria vaccines
Cholera
Pertussis
TB
Example of Capsular Polysaccharide Vaccines
meningitis
pneumococcal pneumonia
Example of bacterial toxin vaccines
diphtheria
tetanus
Example of whole virus vaccines
influenza
measles
mumps
rubella
polio
Example of viral antigen vaccines
proteins
DNA/RNA
Hep B
Covid
How does an mRNA vaccine work?
it codes for viral proteins that serve as antigens
What is passive immunotherapy?
non-antigen treatment that mimics or enhances an active AIR in a patient (give antibodies from a patient who was already exposed)
Examples of “passive, selective” immunotherapy
IV immunoglobulin therapy (IVIg), antivenoms, antibodies (against pathogens, drugs, foreign agents and hormones)
Example of a “passive, selective” immunotherapy treatment targeted against hormones
Herceptin
what is herceptin
a monoclonal antibody against the human EGF receptor in some mammary gland tumors
what is a monoclonal antibody
an antibody made by cloning a single, unique antibody-forming cell (B cell) that produces a single type of antibody.
MOA of etanercept
targets TNF-a
What is etanercept used for
Rheumatoid arthritis
MOA of secukinamab
targets IL-17A
therapeutic use for secukinamab
psoriasis
MOA of ustekinumab
targets IL-12 and IL-23
therapeutic use of ustekinumab
Crohn’s and IBD
MOA of tocilizumab
Targets IL-6
Therapeutic use for tocilizumab
COVID and RA
What is “passive, non-selective” immunotherapy?
Treatment with cytokines or growth factors that enhance immune responses against any antigen
MOA of Granulocyte Monocyte Colony Stimulating Factor
GM-CSF stimulates bone marrow to produce more eosinophils, monocytes, and neutrophila
MOA of G-CSF
selectively stimulates the bone marrow to produce ONLY neutrophils
MOA of cytokine treatments
administer interleukin-2 to help treat immunodeficiency disorders
What kind of immunotherapy is CAR T-cell therapy?
“Active, selective”
how does CAR T-cell therapy work?
blood is drawn from a patient, T-cells are isolated, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) is added onto the t-cells, replicated, and then administered back to the patient; only attacks cancer cells, not healthy cells
Examples of checkpoint inhibitors
nivolumab and avelumab
MOA of nivolumab
Anti-PD1 medication; blocks the programed death receptor on T-cells
MOA of avelumab
anti-PD-L1 medication; blocks the programed death ligand that is present on cancer cells
