Title:Immunoadjunctive Therapy against Bacterial Infections Using Herbal Medicines Based on Th17 Cell-mediated Protective Immunity
Volume: 27
Issue: 38
Author(s): Haruaki Tomioka*, Yutaka Tatano, Toshiaki Shimizu and Chiaki Sano
Affiliation:
- Department of Basic Medical Science for Nursing, Department of Contemporary Psychology, Yasuda Women’s University, Hiroshima,Japan
Keywords:
Herbal medicines, medicinal plants, immunoadjunctive agents, host-directed therapeutics, bacterial infections, mycobacteriosis,
host defense mechanisms, Th17 cells, IL-17.
Abstract: One of the major health concerns in the world is the global increase in intractable bacterial infectious
diseases due to the emergence of multi- and extensively drug-resistant bacterial pathogens as well as increase in
compromised hosts around the world. Particularly, in the case of mycobacteriosis, the high incidence of tuberculosis
in developing countries, resurgence of tuberculosis in industrialized countries, and increase in the prevalence
of Mycobacterium avium complex infections are important worldwide health concerns. However, the development
of novel antimycobacterial drugs is currently making slow progress. Therefore, it is considered that
devising improved administration protocols for clinical treatment against refractory mycobacteriosis using existing
chemotherapeutics is more practical than awaiting the development of new antimycobacterial drugs. The
regulation of host immune responses using immunoadjunctive agents may increase the efficacy of antimicrobial
treatment against mycobacteriosis. The same situations also exist in cases of intractable infectious diseases due
to common bacteria other than mycobacteria. The mild and long-term up-regulation of host immune reactions
in hosts with intractable chronic bacterial infections, using herbal medicines and medicinal plants, may be beneficial
for such immunoadjunctive therapy. This review describes the current status regarding basic and clinical
studies on therapeutic regimens using herbal medicines, useful for the clinical treatment of patients with intractable
bacterial infections. In particular, we focus on immunoadjunctive effects of herbal medicines on the
establishment and manifestation of host antibacterial immunity related to the immunological roles of Th17 cell
lineages.
