Antineoplastic and Immunosuppressive Agents—Part 1

Antineoplastic Immunoconjugates and Immunotoxins

PROLOGUE This paper discusses the scientific rationale, synthesis, therapeutic utility and clinical limitations of cancer chemotherapy with antineoplastic drugs or toxins covalently linked to monoclonal antibodies directed against tumor cell antigens. Chemical issues that must be considered when designing an effective antineoplastic immunoconjugate or immunotoxin (including purity, functional g...

Antineoplastic Agents

Immunosuppressive Drugs and Kidney Post-transplant Diabetes Mellitus

Background: As the rate of renal transplantation increases, more immunosuppressive drugs such as cyclosporine A (CsA) are consumed, particularly during the early months following transplantation, leading to post-transplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) which can cause death. Objective: The present study examined the role of CsA in causing PTDM and other effect...

Immunosuppressive drugs and fertility

Immunosuppressive drugs are used in the treatment of inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, as well as in transplantation. Frequently prescribed in young people, these treatments may have deleterious effects on fertility, pregnancy outcomes and the unborn child. This review aims to summarize the main gonadal side effects of immunosuppressants, to detail the effects on fertility and pregnancy of ...

HIV-1 gp120 Mannoses Induce Immunosuppressive Responses from Dendritic Cells

The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) envelope glycoprotein gp120 is a vaccine immunogen that can signal via several cell surface receptors. To investigate whether receptor biology could influence immune responses to gp120, we studied its interaction with human, monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDCs) in vitro. Gp120 from the HIV-1 strain JR-FL induced IL-10 expression in MDDCs from ...