Biological response modifiers

Abstract

Immune responses to infectious agents involve a complex set of interactions between cells and the factors they produce that culminate with disease resolution or death. Therefore, the manipulation of the immune system may have a great impact on the preservation and restoration of animal health. Biological response modifiers are agents that modify the host's response to pathogens with resultant beneficial prophylactic or therapeutic effects. The use of biological response modifiers or biologicals has rapidly expanded since the introduction of the first diagnostic antibodies; they are now widely employed in oncology, autoimmune disorders, inflammatory diseases and transplantation medicine. Biological response modifiers can also act passively by enhancing the immunologic response to tumor cells or actively by altering the differentiation/growth of tumor cells. Their widespread use has resulted in an increase in adverse drug reactions. Adverse effects result from both direct pharmacological actions and immunological actions, as well as through induction of a specific immune response. This article reviewed the role of interferons, interleukins, monoclonal antibodies, erythropoietin, tumor necrosis factor and colony stimulating factors as biological response modifiers. This review also sheds light on the various angiogenesis inhibitors, humanized antibodies, the increasing use of erythropoietin in anemia and the upcoming potential colony stimulating factors used to treat the infections in cancer patients.