Title:Sole Anti-inflammatory Immunomodulators: Innovative Drugs to Prevent and Treat Autoimmune Diseases and Proteopathies
Volume: 1
Issue: 2
Author(s): Dante J. Marciani*
Affiliation:
- Qantu Therapeutics, Inc., Lewisville TX 75057,United States
Keywords:
Anti-inflammatories, immunotolerance, immunosuppression, vaccines, proteopathies, autoimmunity, immunomodulation.
Abstract:
Objective: To review the available sole anti-inflammatory immunomodulators or adjuvants,
different from pro-inflammatory ones, which elicit a Th2 immunity while inhibiting but
without abrogating Th1/Th17 immunities. Adjuvants that are useful to develop vaccines for T-cell
mediated autoimmune conditions.
Methods: A literature search using PubMed and Google Scholar databases was made to identify
reports regarding adjuvants, mechanisms of action, pro-inflammatory autoimmunity and vaccines
to treat it, immunosuppressive agents, dendritic cells, helminths, immunotolerance, and infectious
diseases causing autoimmunity.
Results: Some anti-inflammatory drugs to treat autoimmune diseases inhibit DNA or protein synthesis
causing global immunosuppression, which is reduced by using biologics to block key steps
in the inflammatory cascade. Fucosylated glycans from helminths, which are anti-inflammatory
but not immune-suppressive, offer an avenue to develop better drugs. Fucosylated glycans bind to
DC-SIGN, a receptor on dendritic cells, entering the cells via receptor-mediated endocytosis, biasing
their immunoresponse to a sole Th2 anti-inflammatory immunity, while inhibiting the proinflammatory
Th1/Th17 immunities. New anti-inflammatory drugs are particular plant-derived
fucosylated glycosides with immunological properties like those of helminth-derived glycans.
Another class of anti-inflammatory immunomodulators is ligands of the aromatic-hydrocarbon
receptor, which by activating this intracellular receptor, boosts the differentiation of regulatory Tcells,
inducing an anti-inflammatory immunity. However, aromatic ligands can also stimulate a
pro-inflammatory response. Exogenous aromatic ligands are usually delivered intracellularly using
carriers like nanoparticles, which upon translocation to the nucleus, activate this receptor.
Conclusion: Autoimmune conditions and some infectious diseases, characterized by organ damage
due to pro-inflammatory autoimmune immunoresponses, could benefit from nonimmunosuppressive
agents to modulate immunity; this way, averting a damaging inflammation.