TY - JOUR
T1 - L-arginine and vitamin D
T2 - novel adjunctive immunotherapies in tuberculosis
AU - Ralph, Anna P.
AU - Kelly, Paul M.
AU - Anstey, Nicholas M.
PY - 2008/7
Y1 - 2008/7
N2 - Worsening drug resistance and the need for prolonged treatment in tuberculosis (TB) require innovative solutions including investigation of inexpensive, safe adjunctive immunotherapies. L-arginine, the precursor of nitric oxide, and vitamin D recently have elucidated mycobactericidal and immunomodulatory actions against TB and are deficient in people with TB. We review the potential of these agents as adjunctive TB immunotherapies and explore how comparative clinical trials might help clarify their relative importance in the human TB immune response. By enhancing mycobacterial killing in macrophages, L-arginine and vitamin D might have the potential to enable shorter duration of treatment, reduced infectivity and improved response in drug-resistant TB.
AB - Worsening drug resistance and the need for prolonged treatment in tuberculosis (TB) require innovative solutions including investigation of inexpensive, safe adjunctive immunotherapies. L-arginine, the precursor of nitric oxide, and vitamin D recently have elucidated mycobactericidal and immunomodulatory actions against TB and are deficient in people with TB. We review the potential of these agents as adjunctive TB immunotherapies and explore how comparative clinical trials might help clarify their relative importance in the human TB immune response. By enhancing mycobacterial killing in macrophages, L-arginine and vitamin D might have the potential to enable shorter duration of treatment, reduced infectivity and improved response in drug-resistant TB.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=46049098541&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.tim.2008.04.003
DO - 10.1016/j.tim.2008.04.003
M3 - Review article
SN - 0966-842X
VL - 16
SP - 336
EP - 344
JO - Trends in Microbiology
JF - Trends in Microbiology
IS - 7
ER -