Medications used in chemotherapy or immunosuppressants inhibit the natural functioning of the immune system in our body. Known as drugs that suppress the immune system.
Cristina Tesare
Our body’s immune system includes the skin, mucous membranes, white blood cells, and the organs and tissues of the lymphatic system. This specific system is responsible for helping our body fight infections and other diseases.
Its principal function is to defend the body from harmful or foreign substances such as viruses, germs, bacteria, or cells damaged by cancer or sunburn. When this system begins to fail. It can no longer recognize the antigen (foreign substance) and cannot respond with the proper antibodies either.
When the immune system does not work well, it stops fulfilling its immunity protection and gives way to severe infections or short-term diseases.
What are the drugs that suppress the immune system?
Among the drugs that depress the immune system, we find:
– Antineoplastics (drugs used in cancer chemotherapy).
– Immunosuppressants (azathioprine, methotrexate, or cyclosporine, used to prevent rejection of an organ after a transplant)
– Corticosteroids – Steroids (prednisone, methylprednisolone, dexamethasone).
– Biological agents (such as adalimumab and others used for diseases such as ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s, rheumatoid arthritis, and other autoimmune diseases)
– Biological anti-IL-1 drugs (Anakinra (Kineret), Canakinumab (Ilaris), Rilonacept (Arcalyst)).
-Among others.
But not everything is negative; drugs that suppress the immune system help prevent neurological disorders; characterized by tremors, slow movements, stiffness, and difficulty walking. Parkinson’s is a neurodegenerative disease that affects about a million people in the United States, says a study published by the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology.
What problems can the immune system present?
The problems that can cause the lack of response by the immune system are allergies, asthma, and autoimmune diseases. If you have an autoimmune disease, your immune system mistakenly attacks healthy cells in your body and weakens your defenses. Thus exposing you to new infections or viruses.
Immune-deficient diseases can also develop, in which you get sick more often, infections last longer, are more serious, and are more challenged to treat (genetic disorders).
When the immune system is weak, HIV damages it accelerated; due to the destruction of white blood cells. Untreated HIV can cause AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).
Other factors also deteriorate the immune system, such as:
- – Extensive burns: there is an increased risk of infection because of the damaged skin’s incapability in preventing the invasion of harmful microorganisms.
- – Medical procedures and surgical interventions: when performing some techniques, it is necessary to introduce foreign material into the body, thereby increasing the risk of infection.
– Radiation therapy: this type of treatment suppresses the immune system. Particularly when the radiation of the bone marrow.