Hydrosoluble immunostimulants of bacterial and synthetic origins.

The role of whole Mycobacteria, mycobacterial cell walls and waxes D as immunostimulants was well established many years ago. More recently three different research groups have shown that hydrosoluble components from mycobacterial and other bacterial origins were as active as waxes D or cell walls and were free of many side-effects. Studies concerning the relationship between structure and activity were achieved which led to the description of a small biologically active fragment and to a first series of synthetic compounds.