Anti-Inflammatory Actions of Intravenous Immunoglobulin

by Falk Nimmerjahn, Jeffrey V. Ravetch

Overview

The remarkable success story of the therapeutic application of pooled immunoglobulin G (IgG) preparations from thousands of donors, the so-called intravenous IgG (IVIG) therapy, to patients with a variety of hematological and immunological disorders began more than half a century ago. Since then, the use of this primary blood product has increased constantly, resulting in the serious danger of shortages in supply. Despite its widespread use and therapeutic success, the mechanisms of action, especially of the anti-inflammatory activity, are only beginning to be understood. In this review, we summarize the clinical use of IVIG for different diseases and discuss recent data on the molecular mechanisms that might explain how this potent drug mediates its activity in vivo.

Product Details

BN ID:	2940013247437
Publisher:	Annual Reviews
Publication date:	10/25/2011
Series:	Annual Review of Immunology , #26
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	20
File size:	6 MB