Immunosuppressive Therapy

Immunosuppressive Therapy

Immunosuppression refers to actions that diminish the activation or effectiveness of the immune system. Certain components of the immune system possess immunosuppressive effects on other parts, and immunosuppression can arise as an adverse reaction to treatments for other conditions.

Typically, induced immunosuppression is carried out to prevent rejection of an organ transplant, manage graft-versus-host disease post-bone marrow transplant, or treat autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis or Crohn's disease. This is commonly achieved through medications, although procedures like splenectomy, plasmapheresis, or radiation may also be employed.

An individual undergoing immunosuppression, or someone with a weakened immune system due to factors like chemotherapy, HIV, or Lupus, is described as immunocompromised.

The primary approach to induced immunosuppression is through the administration of immunosuppressive drugs. Ideally, these drugs target only the overactive components of the immune system and do not lead to significant immunodeficiency. However, in practice, all immunosuppressive drugs carry the potential to induce immunodeficiency. This may result in heightened vulnerability to opportunistic infections and reduced cancer immunosurveillance.