Immunomodulation
Definition
Immunomodulation refers to the therapeutic adjustment of immune system activity, either by enhancing (immunostimulation) or suppressing (immunosuppression) immune responses to achieve a desired clinical or research outcome. Immunomodulatory agents can target innate immunity (macrophages, NK cells, dendritic cells), adaptive immunity (T and B lymphocytes), or regulatory networks (cytokines, checkpoint pathways). Several research peptides exhibit immunomodulatory properties, including thymosin alpha-1, which enhances T-cell maturation and dendritic cell function, and KPV, which suppresses pro-inflammatory NF-kB signaling. Understanding immunomodulation is essential for peptide research in infectious disease, autoimmunity, and cancer immunology.