Polyvalent human immunoglobulin for infectious diseases: Potential to circumvent antimicrobial resistance

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health problem that causes more than 1.27 million deaths annually; therefore, it is urgent to focus efforts on solving or reducing this problem. The major causes of AMR are the misuse of antibiotics and antimicrobials in agriculture, veterinary medicine, and human medicine, which favors the selection of drug-resistant microbes. One of the strategies proposed to overcome the problem of AMR is to use polyvalent human immunoglobulin or IVIG. The main advantage of this classic form of passive immunization is its capacity to enhance natural immunity mechanisms to eliminate bacteria, viruses, or fungi safely and physiologically. Experimental data suggest that, for some infections, local administration of IVIG may produce better results with a lower dose than intravenous application. This review presents evidence supporting the use of polyvalent human immunoglobulin in AMR, and the potential and challenges associated with its proposed usage.

Automated summary

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a global health problem causing over 1.27 million deaths annually, highlighting the need for urgent efforts to address this issue. Misuse of antibiotics and antimicrobials in agriculture, veterinary medicine, and human medicine is the primary cause of AMR, leading to the selection of drug-resistant microbes. One potential strategy to combat AMR is the use of polyvalent human immunoglobulin or IVIG, which enhances natural immunity to safely and physiologically eliminate bacteria, viruses, or fungi.