Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology: Immunosuppressants - clinical applications

Immunosuppressants are used to control severe manifestations of allergic, autoimmune and transplant-related diseases.Some drugs have a diffuse effect on the immune system while others have specific targets.Drugs with diffuse effects are more likely to cause damaging adverse effects, but the effectiveness of the more specific drugs may be reduced if their action can be bypassed by alternative metabolic pathways.Treatment protocols therefore frequently use drug combinations to minimise adverse effects and to prevent resistance to treatment.Although protocols are essential to allow scientific evaluation, the clinician must be prepared to tailor treatment based on the ongoing assessment of drug effects, disease activity and the robustness of the individual patient.