Immune system as a new therapeutic target for antibiotics

Abstract

Since the discovery of\rpenicillin by Fleming in 1928, the knowledge\rof the antibiotics’ spectrum and mechanism of action has been steadily\rincreasing. Antibiotics became an effective tool in the fight against many\rpathogens, changing the prognosis of outcome for many serious diseases. It is\ralready known that antibiotics not only have the antibacterial activity, but\rmany of them—e.g.\rmacrolides, sulphonamides and tetracyclines—have immunomodulating effect, affecting functions of lymphocytes, macrophages and costimulatory molecules, macrophage migration and phagocytosis,\ras well as proinflammatory cytokine secretion. The expanding knowledge of the\reffects of antibiotics on the immune system has brought with it new\rapplications of antibiotics in organ transplantation, invasive cardiology and\rtreatment of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid\rarthritis or asthma.