Nonspecific immunostimulation has progressed from crude microbially de
rived substances to chemically defined drugs with selective effects on
different components of the immune system. John Hadden describes how
immunopharmacological analyses of structure-activity relationships, ph
armacokinetics and immunopharmacodynamics have directed the effective
use of these agents in disease models and suggest that they may be of
value in combination with other therapies in the treatment of immunode
ficiencies, cancer, infections and even autoimmune disorders.