9th International Conference on new trends in immunosuppression and immunotherapy: introduction.

摘要

This broad repertoire of drugs is quite effective but has one important problem. They target both bad (pathogenic) and good (regulatory) cells or molecules resulting in pathogenic effects. Thus, it is possible to combat an autoimmune exacerbation or prevent acute graft rejection but the drugs required to prevent relapse and chronic rejection are suboptimal. At present they do not result in immune (re) programming and tolerance but rather require chronic suppression with the associated toxicity and high costs.There is clearly an unmet medical need for new approaches (Figure 1) to shift from chronic immunosuppression to "immuno-cure" via immune (re)programming and tolerance induction. This might be achieved using a double strategy incorporating selective targeting of pathogenic cells while sparing anti-pathogen response and supporting immunoregulation. To reach this goal we have to i) identify the toxic cellular mediators and ways to regulate them, ii) develop new therapeutic tools including cell-based approaches, and iii) identify responsive patients and optimal time for intervention for successful and personalized immunotherapy.