Delivery of host cell-directed therapeutics for intracellular pathogen clearance

Expert Rev Anti Infect Ther. 2013 Nov;11(11):1225-35. doi: 10.1586/14787210.2013.845524. Epub 2013 Oct 18.

Abstract

Intracellular pathogens present a major health risk because of their innate ability to evade clearance. Their location within host cells and ability to react to the host environment by mutation or transcriptional changes often enables survival mechanisms to resist standard therapies. Host-directed drugs do not target the pathogen, minimizing the potential development of drug resistance; however, they can be difficult to deliver efficiently to intracellular sites. Vehicle delivery of host-mediated response drugs not only improves drug distribution and toxicity profiles, but can reduce the total amount of drug necessary to clear infection. In this article, we will review some host-directed drugs and current drug delivery techniques that can be used to efficiently clear intracellular infections.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Communicable Diseases / drug therapy
  • Drug Delivery Systems*
  • Host-Pathogen Interactions / immunology*
  • Humans
  • Immunity, Innate
  • Poly I-C / administration & dosage
  • Poly I-C / therapeutic use
  • Receptors, Pattern Recognition / immunology
  • Toll-Like Receptors / immunology

Substances

  • Receptors, Pattern Recognition
  • Toll-Like Receptors
  • Poly I-C