[Today in molecular mechanisms of immunosuppressive drugs actions: roles of pharmacist]. 2008

A Hulin
Laboratoire de pharmacologie-toxicologie, CHU Henri-Mondor, 51, avenue du Maréchal-de-Lattre-de-Tassigny, 94010 Créteil cedex, France. anne.hulin@hmn.ap-hop-paris.fr

Immunosuppressive drugs modulate cellular and humoral immune response in the acute allograft rejection. The panel of drugs, which has been recently extended, allowed a significant progress for immunosuppressive treatment. These drugs help us to improve our knowledge of lymphocyte activation pathways. Corticoids, the oldest immunosuppresive drugs, inhibit many cytokines such as interleukin 2 (IL2) and interleukin 6. They represent the treatment of acute rejection. The other immunosuppressive drugs are used for preventing acute rejection. After binding to a specific immunophillin, cyclosporin and tacrolimus inhibit calcineurine, a serine/threonine phosphatase which plays a major role in cytokines transcription notably IL2 after T-cell activation. Anti-IL2 receptor monoclonal antibodies block IL2 activity following T-cell activation. Protein mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors avoid the transcription of different mRNA involved in the regulation of the cellular cycle. These new agents are rapamycin or sirolimus and everolimus. The inhibitors of pyrimidic and puric bases synthesis, mycophenolic acid and azathioprin, inhibit T- and B-cell proliferation. The wide variety of immunosuppressive drugs permits the use of combinations, which aims at decreasing the immunologic risk and their own toxicities, notably nephrotoxicity. Before transplant, the pharmacist plays an important role in the prevention of initial pathologies and in the politic of organ donation. After transplant, the pharmacist has a role in the pharmacological and biological monitoring of immunosuppressive drugs. But the pharmacist must be involved in the optimization of therapeutics and in the education of transplant patients.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D007166 Immunosuppressive Agents Agents that suppress immune function by one of several mechanisms of action. Classical cytotoxic immunosuppressants act by inhibiting DNA synthesis. Others may act through activation of T-CELLS or by inhibiting the activation of HELPER CELLS. While immunosuppression has been brought about in the past primarily to prevent rejection of transplanted organs, new applications involving mediation of the effects of INTERLEUKINS and other CYTOKINES are emerging. Immunosuppressant,Immunosuppressive Agent,Immunosuppressants,Agent, Immunosuppressive,Agents, Immunosuppressive
D010353 Patient Education as Topic The teaching or training of patients concerning their own health needs. Education of Patients,Education, Patient,Patient Education
D010595 Pharmacists Those persons legally qualified by education and training to engage in the practice of pharmacy. Clinical Pharmacists,Community Pharmacists,Retail Pharmacists,Clinical Pharmacist,Community Pharmacist,Pharmacist,Pharmacist, Clinical,Pharmacist, Community,Pharmacist, Retail,Pharmacists, Clinical,Pharmacists, Community,Pharmacists, Retail,Retail Pharmacist
D006084 Graft Rejection An immune response with both cellular and humoral components, directed against an allogeneic transplant, whose tissue antigens are not compatible with those of the recipient. Transplant Rejection,Rejection, Transplant,Transplantation Rejection,Graft Rejections,Rejection, Graft,Rejection, Transplantation,Rejections, Graft,Rejections, Transplant,Rejections, Transplantation,Transplant Rejections,Transplantation Rejections
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D016903 Drug Monitoring The process of observing, recording, or detecting the effects of a chemical substance administered to an individual therapeutically or diagnostically. Monitoring, Drug,Therapeutic Drug Monitoring,Drug Monitoring, Therapeutic,Monitoring, Therapeutic Drug

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