Pharmaceutical Innovation and Human Immune System Defense
The Pharmaceutical Industry and Drug Development
Pharmaceutical companies must make significant investments in the research, creation, and testing of new drugs. To compensate for these investments, each product is protected by patents that grant exclusive exploitation rights for 20 years, preventing other entities from manufacturing or importing expensive marketable medicines.
Drug Approval Process
Before a physician can prescribe a new medication, it must be approved through a rigorous process:
- Preclinical Phase: The drug must pass a series of tests on experimental animals and healthy subjects.
- Clinical Trials: If results are satisfactory, the drug moves to clinical trials to be tested on patients.
- Marketing Authorization: If tests confirm the drug is effective and safe, it is approved for commercial distribution.
Artificial Defenses and Medical Interventions
These include medicines and surgical techniques aimed at preventing or treating disease:
- Surgery: Manual and instrumental intervention of the affected organ.
- Transplants: Implantation of an organ or tissue from a donor to a recipient. This includes autologous (same individual), allotransplants (same species), and xenotransplants (different species).
- Medications: Substances used to prevent, fight, or mitigate the effects of diseases.
- Antibiotics: Used to kill bacteria or prevent their growth.
Immunity and Vaccines
Immunity is categorized into two types:
- Active Immunity: Acquired through contact with an antigen by suffering an illness or receiving a vaccine.
- Passive Immunity: Acquired through maternal antibodies during pregnancy or lactation, or via serum administration.
Vaccines are elaborated with germs of inactive or attenuated virulence. When applied, they allow the body to recognize pathogens through immune memory cells, preventing the development of the disease upon future contact.
The Human Immune System
Immune cells distinguish between the body's own tissues and invading germs, eliminating pathogens and damaged cells.
Primary Barriers: The First Line of Defense
These physical and chemical barriers prevent the entry of pathogens:
- Skin: Prevents pathogen entry; sweat and fatty acids inhibit bacterial growth.
- Mucosal Barriers: Tears, urine, and saliva act as disinfectants.
- Digestive System: Digestive juices and intestinal flora kill microorganisms found in food.
Secondary Barriers: The Inflammatory Response
When primary barriers are overcome, the immune system triggers an inflammatory response:
- Damaged cells release substances that trigger swelling.
- Histamine increases blood flow to the area to recruit white blood cells.
- White blood cells, such as neutrophils and macrophages, destroy bacteria, often resulting in the formation of pus.
Both primary and secondary barriers work in tandem to protect the body from infection.