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Nonspecific Immunomodulator Therapy

CpG

  • Chapter
Biological Weapons Defense

Part of the book series: Infectious Disease ((ID))

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Abstract

This chapter focuses on the immunomodulatory effects of synthetic cytosine and guanosine (CpG) DNA and its possible use as a generic therapy against infectious diseases. For many years, research into the development of medical countermeasures against microorganisms that could be used as a biological weapon has focused on the development of vaccines given preexposure and which induce pathogen-specific immune responses. Such vaccines are often highly effective. However, in some situations it may not be possible to immunize populations using vaccines, for example, if an attack is not anticipated, or if there is insufficient time (many vaccine regimes take weeks to generate an effective immune response). Also, for many of these pathogens, licensed vaccines are not available. The possibility of countermeasures that can protect against a range of biological warfare (BW) agents has been a goal of researchers for many years. Such countermeasures would be given shortly before or after exposure to the agents. This could also potentially overcome the limitations of the antimicrobials currently available; there are few available antibiotics effective against the bacterial BW agents and still less antiviral therapies (see Chapter 13).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biomedical Sciences, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory, CBS Porton Down, Salisbury, Wilts, UK

    D. G. Cerys Rees PhD & Richard W. Titball PhD

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, University of Iowa College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA

    Arthur M. Krieg MD

  3. Coley Pharmaceutical Group, Wellesley, MA

    Arthur M. Krieg MD

  4. Department of Infectious and Tropical Diseases, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK

    Richard W. Titball PhD

Authors
  1. D. G. Cerys Rees PhD
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  2. Arthur M. Krieg MD
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  3. Richard W. Titball PhD
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate, National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center, Fort Detrick, MD

    Luther E. Lindler PhD  & George W. Korch PhD (Deputy Director) &  (Deputy Director)

  2. Department of Bacterial Diseases, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD

    Luther E. Lindler PhD

  3. Department of Cell Biology and Biochemistry, US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Fort Detrick, MD

    Frank J. Lebeda PhD

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© 2005 Humana Press Inc., Totowa, NJ

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Rees, D.G.C., Krieg, A.M., Titball, R.W. (2005). Nonspecific Immunomodulator Therapy. In: Lindler, L.E., Lebeda, F.J., Korch, G.W. (eds) Biological Weapons Defense. Infectious Disease. Humana Press. https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-764-5:317

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/1-59259-764-5:317

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-58829-184-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-59259-764-2

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