Role of adenosine in immunomodulation: Review of the literature

OBJECTIVE: Advances in the understanding of sepsis have failed to deliver satisfactory new treatments aimed at attenuating inflammatory-mediated organ dysfunction. Phagocytic cells play a pivotal role in driving the inflammatory response and causing direct tissue injury. Adenoreceptor stimulation may attenuate such inflammatory-mediated damage by down-regulating phagocytic activity and preventing excessive respiratory burst activation. DATA: A Medline database was used to perform a literature search for all articles relating to the use of adenosine as an immunomodulatory agent. CONCLUSION: There is convincing evidence to suggest that adenoreceptor modulation can prevent tissue injury through a variety of pathways. The use of adenosine modulation in ischemia/reperfusion injury has been the subject of considerable investigation, although experience with its use in sepsis is limited.