[Present state of preclinical research on the efficacy and safety of para immunity inducers from poxviruses. A study of the literature].

The investigations on the "systemic level" after parenteral application of pox-inducers to man and animal have proved the preparations to be harmless and surprisingly effective with regard to certain indications. The clinical data correlate to laboratory parameters to serve as proof for the efficacy. The challenge models (VSV, Aujeszky) verify a dosis-efficacy relationship. The evaluation of the efficacy of the pox-inducers in isolated blood- and liver-cells respectively cell cultures (cellular "in vitro" level) provide a unified picture: increase of the phagocytosis, of the NK-cells and the thymidinkinase activity in liver cells. The investigations on the "cytokine release" illustrate that pox-inducers promote the release respectively the production of diverse cytokines important for the regulation of the immune system. This has been proved for interferon alpha and gamma, the interleukin 1, 2 and 12 as well as for CSF and TNF. To conclude, a regulative effect is ascribed to the poxvirus inducers in the network of paraspecific defence in regard to stimulating as well as inhibiting effects. The endogenous medication by way of pox-inducers (paramunization) is diametrically opposed to the exogenous application of cytokines.