Host pathways

Host pathways refer to the collective set of endogenous biochemical and signaling processes within a host organism that are utilized by pathogens for entry, replication, and egress, or that contribute to the pathophysiology of non-infectious diseases (Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 2018). In the context of drug development, host-directed therapies (HDTs) aim to modulate these internal pathways to enhance the host's immune response or deprive the pathogen of necessary cellular machinery (Frontiers in Immunology, 2020). This approach is particularly relevant in treating viral infections, such as COVID-19 or influenza, and intracellular bacterial infections like tuberculosis (Journal of Clinical Investigation, 2017). By targeting host factors rather than the pathogen itself, these therapies can potentially overcome the challenge of rapidly evolving drug resistance (PubMed, 2022). However, because these pathways are often essential for normal cellular homeostasis, drugs targeting them must be carefully designed to avoid systemic toxicity (NIH, 2023). Examples of host-directed strategies include the use of kinase inhibitors to block viral signaling or the modulation of autophagy to clear intracellular bacteria (Science, 2019). Ultimately, 'Host pathways' represents a broad conceptual framework for therapeutic intervention rather than a single, discrete molecular target.

Other names

Host factorsHost-directed therapy targetsCellular pathwaysHost-pathogen interface

Modulation of host cellular machinery to inhibit pathogen life cycles or regulate inflammatory responses.