Immunostimulatory agents

Echinacea is one of the best-selling herbal products in the United States (Brevoort, 1998) and is promoted as an immunostimulatory agent (Bauer, 1999a, 2000). The alkamides, caffeic acid derivatives (e.g., cichoric acid), glycoproteins, and polysaccharides are believed to be responsible for Echinacea s observed immunostimulatory activity. Bauer (1997) reported that the variation in alkamide concentrations of Echinacea products was due to a number of factors such as growing season, which part of the plant was utilized in the preparation of the commercial product,... 

Schaeffer H. A. and G. J. Brooks, 1992, Immunostimulatory Agents for Use in Skincare Products, Vol. 1 IFSCC International Congress Yokohama, Eds. lESCC, Yokohama, Japan. 

The immunostimulatory activity of IL-2 has proven beneficial in the treatment of some cancer types. An effective anti-cancer agent would prove not only medically valuable, but also commercially very successful. In the developed world, an average of one-in-six deaths is caused by cancer. In the USA alone, the annual death toll from cancer stands in the region of half a million people. 

Thus, the potent immunostimulatory ability of LPS results not only in its severe toxicity, but also in its potential utility as a therapeutic agent. The interactions between LPS and the immune system are complex, and there is continued research aimed at unraveling the signaling pathways responsible for the inflammatory and anti-tumor properties of LPS. 

In contrast to immunosuppressive agents that inhibit the immune response in transplant rejection and autoimmunity, a few immunostimulatory drugs have applicability to infection, immunodeficiency, and cancer. 

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