Host immune and tissue cells

Host immune and tissue cells is a broad descriptive term for the various cell types that constitute an organism's body and its defense systems. This category includes immune cells like T-lymphocytes, B-lymphocytes, and macrophages, as well as tissue-specific cells such as hepatocytes, neurons, and myocytes (NIH, 2023). These cells are the sites where therapeutic agents exert their effects, but the term itself does not refer to a specific molecular target like a receptor or enzyme. In the context of drug discovery, specific proteins within these cells are targeted to treat diseases such as cancer, where the goal may be to enhance immune cell activity or inhibit malignant tissue cell growth (Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 2021). Because this term encompasses a vast array of distinct biological entities and functions, it is considered too non-specific to serve as a defined therapeutic target. Consequently, it is classified as an incorrect target designation for structured pharmacological data.

Other names

Host cellsImmune system cellsSomatic cellsTissue-resident cells

Not applicable as this is a broad cellular category rather than a specific molecular target.