270
P A R T 3
Drugs acting on the immune system
CHAPTER SUMMARY
■■
Immune stimulants boost the immune system when it
is exhausted from fighting off prolonged invasion or
needs help to fight a specific pathogen or cancer cell.
They include interferons and interleukins.
■■
Interferons are naturally released from cells in
response to viral invasion; they are used to treat
various cancers and warts.
■■
Interleukins stimulate cellular immunity and inhibit
tumour growth; they are used to treat very specific
cancers.
■■
Adverse effects seen with immune stimulants are
related to the immune response (flu-like symptoms,
including fever, myalgia, lethargy, arthralgia and
fatigue).
■■
Immune suppressants are used to depress the immune
system when needed to prevent transplant rejection
or severe tissue damage associated with autoimmune
disease. Research is ongoing to extend the use of
various immune suppressants to other situations,
including various autoimmune disorders.
■■
Increased susceptibility to infection and increased
risk of neoplasm are potentially dangerous effects
associated with the use of immune suppressants.
People need to be protected from infection, injury
and invasive procedures.
Knowing your strengths and weaknesses helps you to
study more effectively. Take a PrepU Practice Quiz
to find out how you measure up!
ONLINE RESOURCES
An extensive range of additional resources to enhance teaching
and learning and to facilitate understanding of this chapter may
be found online at the text’s accompanying website, located on
thePoint at
These include Watch and
Learn videos, Concepts in Action animations, journal articles,
review questions, case studies, discussion topics and quizzes.
WEB LINKS
Healthcare providers and students may want to consult
the following Internet sources:
Home page of Arthritis Australia. Information, support
and research about rheumatoid arthritis.
Home page of Leukaemia Foundation. Information,
support and research on leukaemia.
Home page of MS Australia. Information, support and
research about multiple sclerosis.
Information on cancers (including leukaemias and
Kaposi’s sarcoma) and treatments.
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