Abstract
As a cytokine, gamma-interferon (IFN-γ) is considered a key player in the fine-tuned orchestration of immune responses. The extreme cellular sensitivity to cytokines is attested by the fact that very few of these bioactive molecules per cell are enough to trigger cellular functions. These findings can, at least partially, explain how/why homeopathically-prepared cytokines, and especially micro-immunotherapy (MI) medicines, are able to drive cellular responses. We focused our fundamental research on a unitary MI preparation of IFN-γ, specifically employed at 4 CH, manufactured and impregnated onto sucrose-lactose pillules as all other MI medicines. We assessed the IFN-γ concentration in the medium after dilution of the IFN-γ (4 CH)-bearing pillules and we evaluated in vitro drug responses in a wide range of immune cells, and in endothelial cells. Our results showed that IFN-γ (4 CH) stimulated the proliferation, the activation and the phagocytic capabilities of primary immune cells, as well as modulated their cytokine-secretion and immunity-related markers’ expression in a trend that is quite comparable with the well-recognized biological effects induced by IFN-γ. Altogether, these data provide novel and additional evidences on MI medicines, and specifically when active substances are prepared at 4 CH, thus suggesting the need for more investigations.
Highlights
The single member of the type II immune interferon family, gamma-interferon (IFN-γ), is a pleiotropic cytokine discovered in 1965, firstly identified as “macrophages-activating factor”, and today considered as a key immune mediator known to play an important role in innate and adaptative immune responses, including host antiviral/antibacterial defenses and antitumor activities
While IFN-γ is always combined with multiple signaling molecules in MI medicines, including, but not exclusively, the just-mentioned 2LEID®, we have investigated its biological effects as unitary medicine in several in vitro jmusotd-melesn. tioned 2LEID®, we have investigated its biological effects as unitary medicine in severIanl itnhivsifturonmdaomdeenlst.al research study, we are laying our investigations on the cellular immIunntohmisofduunldataomryenetfafelcrtesseoafrochnestsuindgyl,ewheoamreeolapyaitnhgicoaullyr ipnrveepsatirgeadticoyntsokoinnethaetcaeltliumlaer, ihmummuannoIFmNo-dγu
Isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were cultivated in the presence of either IFN-γ (4 centesimal Hahnemannian dilution (CH)) or Veh. during 48 h under classical culture conditions: RPMI 1640 medium added with 2% inactivated human serum, 1 mM non-essential amino acids, 1 mM pyruvate and 10 mM HEPES buffer
Summary
The single member of the type II immune interferon family, gamma-interferon (IFN-γ), is a pleiotropic cytokine discovered in 1965, firstly identified as “macrophages-activating factor”, and today considered as a key immune mediator known to play an important role in innate and adaptative immune responses, including host antiviral/antibacterial defenses and antitumor activities. IFN-γ is an essential cytokine involved in macrophage activation and differentiation, in phagocytic cells’ activity, in T cell differentiation, activation and proliferation, in immune cell–cell communication, as well as in interactions between endothelial cells and immune cells [1]. The most important effects of those IFN-γ’ activated genes are: (i) stimulation of NK cell and macrophages functions; (ii) increase of antigen-presenting molecules expression, including HLA molecules; (iii) activation of inducible nitric oxide synthase; (iv) promotion of immunoglobulins production from activated B cells; (v) induction of adhesion molecules expression required for leukocytes migration to the inflamed site [1,2,5,6,7]
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