Immunomodulators in the treatment of HIV/AIDS and mycobacterial diseases

Defective immune response adversely affects the treatment outcome in leprosy, tuber-culosis especially MDR tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS. Addition of immunotherapy to chemotherapy has been considered as an attractive alternate route to improve the treatment of these conditions. Several mycobacterial preparations such as killed M. vaccae, Mw, cytokines (IL-2, interferon gamma, IL-12), passive immunotherapy, recombinant vaccines and non-specific immunomodulators have shown promise in the treatment of HIV/AIDS and MDR tuberculosis. In case of leprosy, immunotherapy using drugs, cytokines IL-2 and gamma interferon and various mycobacteria (BCG, BCG+M. leprae, Mw, ICRe) has been found useful in improving the therapy. These leads need to be further pursued to develop concrete therapeutic modalities for better management of these diseases.