Immunobiological preparations: list, features of application

The main means of protecting the human body from viral and bacterial infections is the immune system. But because of the wrong way of life, it often does not fulfill its functions in modern people. Therefore, more and more drugs are being created now, which affect human immunity by stimulating it. Such immunobiological drugs began to be used more than 100 years ago. At first they were created from substances of biological origin, now they learned how to produce their synthetic substitutes. There are many different kinds of them, and only a few go on a free sale.

Characteristics of immunobiological drugs

Basically, such products are made from blood and human or animal tissue. The cultivation of microorganisms in a special nutrient medium is also used. Recently, immunobiological drugs are produced by creating recombinant DNA. Such synthetic products are not inferior to natural ones in efficiency. These medications can differ greatly not only in the way they are manufactured, but also in their application. They are united only by the fact that they affect the human body through its immune system. Produced in the form of tablets, injectable solutions, suppositories, aerosols or suspensions.

What are immunobiological drugs? These are various vaccines, anatoxins, antimicrobial sera, immunoglobulins, interferons, enzymes and bacteriophages. Among the more common means of acting on human immunity, one can distinguish eubiotics, probiotics, immunomodulators and adaptogens. Now it has become popular to take various biologically active supplements, many of which also belong to this group of drugs.

Classification

The decline in human immunity and the need to influence it have been spoken for many years. And those who care about their health and want to protect themselves and their loved ones from infections, are interested in what immunobiological preparations are. The list of them is now quite large, all new medicines are being created. But all of them can be divided into 5 groups according to the composition and nature of the effect on the body:

• The first group is the immunobiological preparations obtained from living or dead microorganisms. In general, these are various vaccines, anatoxins and serums used for the prevention and treatment of severe infectious diseases. This group also includes bacteriophages, which are viruses that destroy bacteria, and probiotics - based on non-pathogenic microorganisms.

• There are also immunobiological drugs created from special antibodies, which are produced by the body in response to an attack of bacteria and viruses. These are various immunoglobulins, serums and enzymes. They are part of the second group.
• The third group of drugs is a means for stimulating the human immune system. They are called immunomodulators, and they are used to treat and prevent viral and bacterial infections. Basically these are different interferons.
• The immunobiological agents of the fourth group include adaptogens - substances most often of vegetable origin: herbal extracts, biologically active additives and vitamins.
• The latter group includes immunobiological preparations for the diagnosis of various infectious diseases and the determination of allergens.

Interferon alfa

The price of preparations on its basis ranges from 60 to 600 rubles, depending on the method of application and the manufacturer. Interferon is a protein produced by the human immune system in response to a virus attack. But often it is in the body is not enough. And in case of infection, it is necessary to receive it from the outside for a successful fight against infection. For these purposes recombinant "Interferon Alpha" can be used, the price of which is low - about 100 rubles. Or different drugs based on synthetic or human-made protein. These are such drugs as "Viferon", "Anaferon", "Leyfferon" and others. When ingested, they stimulate the immune system and trigger a defense mechanism against viruses and bacteria.

What is a bacteriophage?

Instruction for such drugs recommends the use of them only after examination and appointment of a doctor. After all, bacteriophages are viruses that destroy bacterial cells. But they live only in certain microorganisms. Therefore, the incorrectly chosen drug can do harm. Depending on the disease, streptococcal, dysentery, pseudomonas or staphylococcus bacteriophage are prescribed . Instruction to such drugs recommends their use inside or outside with various bacterial infections. It has already been proved that bacteriophages have many advantages over antibiotics:

• Do not destroy beneficial bacteria;
• Not addictive;
• Do not violate the human immune system;
• Micro-organisms can not become immune to them;
• Have no contraindications and side effects.

Therefore now more and more often various infections are treated with such preparations. The most common of them are: "Intesti", "Piobacteriophage", "Klebsifag", "Dysenteric polyvalent", "Staphylococcal", "Streptococcal" and "Salmonella".

Other commonly used drugs

In recent years, more and more often, both doctors and patients are turning for treatment not to antibiotics, but to the means for stimulating immunity. Although many consider these drugs useless. But for prevention and in the complex treatment of bacterial and viral infections, they are prescribed for adults and children. There are several groups of common and known to many immunobiological drugs:

• Probiotics are designed to treat diseases associated with intestinal microflora disorders. They contain useful lacto- or bifidobacteria. Applied with irrational nutrition, poisoning, dysentery, salmonellosis, diarrhea, to restore the intestinal microflora after antibiotic treatment. The most common probiotics are "Colibacterin", "Bifidumbacterin", "Lactobacterin", "Bifikol" and others.

• Adaptogens are substances obtained from plants or marine life. Everyone knows that extracts of eleutherococcus, ginseng, dog rose or seaweed strengthen immunity and increase work capacity. They are not only used in infectious diseases, but also improve the performance of all internal organs.
• Immunomodulators are means that stimulate the defenses of the body, which accelerate the production of antibodies. These include various peptides - "Timosin", "Titulin"; Interferons - "Viferon"; Antibodies, extracted from microbial cells, - "Pyrogenal", "Salmozan", "Likopid". To this group can also be attributed some antibiotics, for example, "Levamisol" and "Ciclosporin."

Features of the use of such drugs

Despite the fact that these drugs are considered safe and rarely cause side effects, they can be taken only on the advice of a doctor. In addition, there are other features of using such tools:

• In most cases, the storage of immunobiological drugs should be made in the refrigerator;
• It is necessary to strictly follow the instructions when taking these medicines;
• Most often they are used in complex treatment, since their effect may not appear immediately.

Many immunobiological drugs are used only in a medical facility, for example, vaccines, serums and some immunoglobulins. Others are used to strengthen and stimulate the immune system. After all, it is immunity - this is what protects a person from infections.