Role of Immunomodulators in the Management of MDR-TB

Even though we are all exposed to various pathogens at all times, we only seldom become clinically ill. This is because we are endowed with a robust immune apparatus that is highly evolved and multi-facet with the ability to distinguish between “self” and “non-self”. On escaping and by-passing the mechanical barriers like the skin and muco ciliary clearances, as a part of the antigen non-specific immune response, the foreign organisms/antigens are phagocytosed/lysed by the phagocytes or the NK cells without any cell-to-antigen specificity. Any of the cells of the non-specific immune response, namely the, neutrophils, macrophages, dendritic cells and the NK cells can attack/destroy any antigens that are non-self. The number of organisms/ antigens that each of these cells of the non-specific immune response can destroy is rather modest. If the pathogen load is very high this then this non-specific immune response can be easily overwhelmed.