Immunotoxicology

The Immune System as a Target for Chemical Warfare Agents

“…Drugs may target different stages of T-cell differentiation like naive T cells, proliferating and differentiating thymocytes, antigen-presenting thymic epithelial cells and dendritic cells, and cell death processes (Vos et al, 1999). This process involves cellular proliferation, gene rearrangement, apoptotic cell death, receptor up-and down-regulation, and antigen-presentation processes, and is very vulnerable to a number of chemicals.…”

“…One is the specific recognition of antigens via clonally distributed antigen receptors, and the other is antigen-nonspecific co-stimulation or help, which involves interactions of various adhesive and signaling molecules expressed in response to tissue damage, linking initiation of immune responses to situations of acute danger for the host (Vos et al, 1999). Ideally, T cells tailor the responses to neutralize invaders with minimal damage to the host.…”

“…The reason may be due to confounding factors such as stress, nutritional status, lifestyle, co-medication, and genetics (Vos et al, 1999). The reason may be due to confounding factors such as stress, nutritional status, lifestyle, co-medication, and genetics (Vos et al, 1999).…”

Assessing immunotoxicity: guidelines

“…The pharmaceutical can either be an antigen directly or via haptenization of drug components with self‐antigens leading to the formation of neoantigens (as, for example, with low molecular weight compounds). For more in‐depth information on neoantigen formation see [9,10].…”

“…Neoantigen formation plays a predominant role in the onset of hypersensitivity responses and some autoimmune responses, highlighting the overlap between the mechanisms involved in hypersensitivity and autoimmunity responses. For a review on the aetiology of autoimmune reactions the reader is referred to [9,18,19].…”