Immunostimulants and immunomodulators: general characteristic

The weakness of the immune system, unfortunately, is the main cause of the vast majority of virus-infectious diseases. Immunostimulants and immunomodulators are designed to increase the body's resistance to the effects of foreign microorganisms. This is only one side of the effect of the preparations of this group on biological defense processes. Another of their purposes, which can be called the main one, is to strengthen and correct the immune system for the prevention and treatment of severe autoimmune pathologies.

Immunostimulants and immunomodulators are a vast group of drugs of biological, microbiological or synthetic origin that effectively affect the protective mechanism of the human body. A curious feature of such substances is that they can have a multidirectional effect, which directly depends on its initial state.

The immune system is perhaps the most unique in our body, since it is its faithful guardian, designed to neutralize the pathogenic effects of foreign antigens. And when she alone can not cope with the "micromonstrines" of our world, immunostimulants and immunomodulators come to her aid. Although these drugs are similar in their pharmacodynamic properties, nevertheless, there are several significant differences between them.

All substances to improve the tone and improve the protective functions of the body fall into two main categories - immunostimulants and immunomodulators. The former serve exclusively to stimulate one of the links (the weakest of them) of our biological defense system and to improve its physiological characteristics.

The main task of the second category drugs is to create balance and balance between all the components of the immune system. In other words, these substances are designed to bring them to a single physiological denominator by reducing the activity of some links in the protective chain and enhancing the functionality of others. For example, immunomodulators with a cold show a fairly high degree of effectiveness.

A special place among immunomodulators is occupied by a group of interferons - protein substances produced by the cells of the body in response to virus attacks. The principle of their action is that they attach to cellular membrane tissues, launching a protective anti-infective mechanism. Synthetic interferons organically supplement biological analogues, secreted by the cells of the body.

But the most effective immunomodulators nevertheless serve for struggle against dangerous autoimmune pathologies. For example, preparations of the subcategory of immunosuppressants are very successfully used for maintenance therapy with such an incurable neurological disease as multiple sclerosis. As a rule, their action is aimed at suppressing the severity of inflammatory processes. Such drugs are characterized by a rapid and good clinical effect. The basis of etiopathogenesis of a variety of autoimmune diseases and allergic processes is the imbalance of certain cells, which all preparations of this group are eliminated with varying degrees of effectiveness.