Immunosuppressives

Plants and Plant-Derived Molecules as Natural Immunomodulators

Background. Nowadays, the immunomodulatory properties of plants have been studied extensively with greater interest due to increasing awareness and combating the severity of immunomodulatory diseases. Scope and Approach. This paper highlights the efficacy of the available literature evidence on natural immunomodulators of plant origin and synthetic ones. In addition, several aspects of plants and their phytoconstituents responsible for immunomodulation have been discussed. Moreover, this review also discusses the mechanism involved in immunomodulation. Key Findings. One hundred fifty medicinal immunomodulatory plants are currently identified to find novel immunomodulatory drugs. Of these plants, the plant family Asteraceae also takes the first rank by offering 18 plant species (12%). Similarly of the plants studied so far, 40% belong to the Asteraceae family. Echinacea purpurea of this family is most known for its immunostimulating activity. The most prominent immune-active bioactive molecules are polyphenols, terpenoids, and alkaloids. Also, eight plant bioactive immunomodulators were checked for clinical trials and found in the market. These are six immunosuppressants, resveratrol, epigallocatechin-3-gallate, quercetin, colchicine, capsaicin, and andrographolide, and two immunostimulants, curcumin and genistein. Nowadays, there are a lot of polyherbal traditional medicinal products sold in the market and claimed to their immunomodulators. However, much work is still needed to find more active immunomodulatory agents. The mechanism by which immunomodulatory medicinal plant exert their effect is through the induction of cytokines and phagocyte cells and the inhibition of iNOS, PGE, and COX-2 synthesis.

The Lymphocytes Stimulation Induced DNA Release, a Phenomenon Similar to NETosis

The release of DNA into the extracellular milieu by neutrophil during a process called NETosis has been postulated as an additional source of autoantigens; a process believed to be important in the pathogenesis of some autoimmune disease, such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, it is not established if the B and T cells undergo the release of DNA to the extracellular milleu, in response to different stimuli. In this study, it was observed that the treatment of B and T cells with PMA, ionomycin and the serum from patients with SLE induced the extracellular DNA presence in B and T cells. These findings suggest that the phenomenon were similar to those observed in neutrophil's Etosis; B and T cells also released their DNA into the extracellular milieu. The findings express that serum from patients with SLE and SLEDAI ≤ 8 triggers the release of extracellular DNA in neutrophils, B and T cells, that suggested the presence of soluble factors in the serum that favoured this phenomenon.