| Mechanism |
Takes advantage of the inherent ability of the gut's immune system to control unwanted systemic immune responses |
Act from the outside of inflammatory pathways |
| Generalized immune suppression |
Not associated with general immune suppression |
Induces generalized immune suppression |
| Induction of regulatory T cells |
Preferentially induces regulatory T cells |
May reduce regulatory T cells |
| Induction of tolerance |
Can induce systemic tolerance |
Does not induce tolerance |
| Target antigen dependency |
Can be induced in an antigen-dependent or -independent manner |
Not antigen-dependent |
| Reach the blood |
Most compounds used do not reach the blood system |
Needs to reach the blood |
| Toxicity |
Minimal side effects |
Significant toxicity including risks of infection and malignancy. Toxicity and side effects limit their use in a major proportion of patients |
| Cytokine release syndrome |
Not associated with a harmful cytokine release syndrome |
May be associated with cytokine release syndrome |
| Prevention or treatment |
Effective both for preventive therapy and for treatment at the peak of disease |
Many of the compounds used are effective for an established disease, and due to potential toxicity, they are not ideal for prevention. |
| Maintenance therapy |
Can be used for maintenance |
For several compounds, the toxicity prohibits their use for maintenance therapy |
| Dose |
No absorption is required; therefore, a relatively low dose is sufficient for achievement of a clinically meaningful effect |
Relatively high dosages are required depending on bioavailability |
| Platform |
A platform that can be used for many disorders |
Some compounds are disease specific |
| Patient advantages |
Easily tolerated |
Toxicity may limit tolerability |
| Safety concerns and pain |
Eliminates safety concerns and pain related to needles. |
Safety concerns and pain related to use of needles may limit their use for some patients |
| Requirement for trained personnel |
Trained medical personnel not required for administration |
For some compounds, intravenous or subcutaneous administration along with trained personnel are required |
| Cost |
Relatively low cost |
Expensive |
