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Imiquimod is an immune response modifier that acts as a toll-like receptor 7 agonist and is commonly used topically to treat warts on the skin of the genital and anal areas.Imiquimod is an immune response modifier that acts as a toll-like receptor 7 agonist and is commonly used topically to treat warts on the skin of the genital and anal areas. Imiquimod is a patient-applied cream used to treat certain diseases of the skin, including skin cancers (basal cell carcinoma, Bowen's disease, superficial squamous cell carcinoma, some superficial malignant melanomas, and actinic keratosis) as well as genital warts. However, Imiquimod is generally secondary to surgery, because surgery has a better chance to effectively treat at least some forms of skin cancer.
It is known that imiquimod signals to the innate arm of the immune system through the toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7), commonly involved in pathogen recognition. Cells activated by imiquimod via TLR-7 secrete cytokines (primarily interferon-α (INF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)). There is evidence that imiquimod, when applied to skin, can lead to the activation of Langerhans cells, which subsequently migrate to local lymph nodes to activate the adaptive immune system. Other cell types activated by imiquimod include natural killer cells, macrophages and B-lymphocytes. |
