Patients suffering from primary immune deficiencies are at an elevated risk for recurring infections; infections which may be cleared promptly and durably in other populations have a high potential for turning severe or even life-threatening. Such persistent or atypically severe infections are often a clue to a diagnosis (if absent) and commonly represents a significant challenge to manage. Immunocompromised patients are additionally often ineligible for preventive measures such as vaccines, and may also respond poorly to established therapies, where they exist.
Where prevention or conventional therapies do not exist or cannot be applied, the only available therapeutic strategy may be passive immunization of the patient. This technique can provide the patient immediate, but short-lived immunization against specific infectious agents by transfusing specific antibodies.
Passive immunization through convalescent blood products is not a recent idea and dates to the pre-antibiotic era (at the time primarily antibodies from the serum of stimulated animals).
Due to widespread adoption of antibiotics worldwide, convalescent plasma (CP) has in recent years been most typically applied in the treatment of viral rather than bacterial infections. As antibiotic resistance is becoming widespread however, CP therapy may again become a prominent treatment option in these infections.
Although passive immunization has been a long-known strategy for prevention and treatment of infections, it presents many challenges which are particularly exacerbated in the context of primary immune defects. Additionally, regulatory restrictions lead to further difficulties in establishing and providing beneficial CP therapy in vulnerable immunocompromised patients.
In this Research Topic, we aim to bring together researchers to update the view and knowledge in this field. We welcome the submission of Review, Original Research, Clinical Trials, Case Reports and Perspective articles covering, but not limited to, the following sub-topics:
• Interaction of specific immune defects with CP components and role in effectiveness of CP therapy
• Novel relevant criteria for donor eligibility
• Immunological characteristics determining an immunodeficient patient’s suitability CP therapy
• Analysis of immune components within CP and their contribution to efficacy of CP therapy in an immunocompromised patient
• Type I IFN-neutralizing autoantibodies and how to manage their presence in affected PIDs patients
• Monoclonal antibodies as a passive immunization strategy in PIDs patients
• Role of polyclonal immunoglobulin therapy in PIDs patients
• Advances in CP therapy in antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections
• Combination of convalescent plasma and antimicrobial therapy in patients with PIDs
Patients suffering from primary immune deficiencies are at an elevated risk for recurring infections; infections which may be cleared promptly and durably in other populations have a high potential for turning severe or even life-threatening. Such persistent or atypically severe infections are often a clue to a diagnosis (if absent) and commonly represents a significant challenge to manage. Immunocompromised patients are additionally often ineligible for preventive measures such as vaccines, and may also respond poorly to established therapies, where they exist.
Where prevention or conventional therapies do not exist or cannot be applied, the only available therapeutic strategy may be passive immunization of the patient. This technique can provide the patient immediate, but short-lived immunization against specific infectious agents by transfusing specific antibodies.
Passive immunization through convalescent blood products is not a recent idea and dates to the pre-antibiotic era (at the time primarily antibodies from the serum of stimulated animals).
Due to widespread adoption of antibiotics worldwide, convalescent plasma (CP) has in recent years been most typically applied in the treatment of viral rather than bacterial infections. As antibiotic resistance is becoming widespread however, CP therapy may again become a prominent treatment option in these infections.
Although passive immunization has been a long-known strategy for prevention and treatment of infections, it presents many challenges which are particularly exacerbated in the context of primary immune defects. Additionally, regulatory restrictions lead to further difficulties in establishing and providing beneficial CP therapy in vulnerable immunocompromised patients.
In this Research Topic, we aim to bring together researchers to update the view and knowledge in this field. We welcome the submission of Review, Original Research, Clinical Trials, Case Reports and Perspective articles covering, but not limited to, the following sub-topics:
• Interaction of specific immune defects with CP components and role in effectiveness of CP therapy
• Novel relevant criteria for donor eligibility
• Immunological characteristics determining an immunodeficient patient’s suitability CP therapy
• Analysis of immune components within CP and their contribution to efficacy of CP therapy in an immunocompromised patient
• Type I IFN-neutralizing autoantibodies and how to manage their presence in affected PIDs patients
• Monoclonal antibodies as a passive immunization strategy in PIDs patients
• Role of polyclonal immunoglobulin therapy in PIDs patients
• Advances in CP therapy in antibiotic-resistant bacterial infections
• Combination of convalescent plasma and antimicrobial therapy in patients with PIDs