One class of these topical agents is Immune Response Modifiers (IRMs) genitile warts treatments genital warts treatments , which enhance the skin’s ability to identify and control, or destroy, infections, bacteria and other foreign objects in the body responsible for for illness , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentsIRMs work by stimulating cytokine production in genitile warts treatments the skin , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentsskin , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentsCytokines genital warts treatments are naturally occurring proteins which are used by immune system cells to communicate with each other , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentsWhen cytokines are stimulated by IRMs, IRMs, they enhance cell immunity, a natural process to help genitile warts treatments the body control or eliminate virus-infected and tumor cells , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentsBecause IRMs assist the immune immune system as a whole – rather than target specific viruses viruses or tumors – they have potential use in genitile warts treatments genital warts treatments the treatment of a wide variety of dermatologic diseases , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatments One IRM, imiquimod, was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the treatment treatment of genital genital warts caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infections , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentsAlthough they usually do not hurt or itch, genital warts can be unsightly and embarrassing, and genitile warts treatments genital warts treatments are associated with the development of genital cancers , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentscancers , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentsWhile current treatments involve destroying genitile warts treatments the visible warts by freezing, burning, or or applying acids, genital warts treatments the problem can recur after these treatments because the virus that causes the warts can persist in the skin , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentsskin , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentsgenitile warts treatments The use of imiquimod prompts the body to fight off the virus that causes genital warts , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentsIn fact, a recent study showed that the genital warts treatments the use of imiquimod, in a 5 percent cream, cream, increased genitile warts treatments the levels of cytokines in the skin enhancing the antiviral state , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentsOver half of patients who applied imiquimod three times a week for up to 16 weeks completely cleared their genital warts , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentswarts , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentsgenitile warts treatments genital warts treatments “Before the approval of imiquimod, the only patients whose genital wart infections were truly cured were those whose immune system recognized and eliminated the virus , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentsHowever, this was not a common occurrence,” occurrence,” stated Dr , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentsBerman , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatments“This new treatment can assist many more patients by boosting genitile warts treatments the genital warts treatments the body’s immunity to destroy this virus, reduce the need for surgery and destructive ablations.” Another potential use for for IRMs is to treat keloids, genitile warts treatments the excessive scars that result from alteration in the normal wound healing process following skin injury, including surgery , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentsThese scars can occur occur in any individual but genital warts treatments are most most common in people with darker skin , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentsKeloids form when alterations occur in genitile warts treatments the normal control of skin fibroblast cell function, which are the cells that make the structural fibers of the connective tissues tissues in genitile warts treatments the skin , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentsskin , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentsOne of genital warts treatments the naturally occurring immunomodulators, or anti-inflammatory agents, in the skin is interfreron which can normalize the skin’s wound-healing function , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentsThe use of imiquimod has been shown to induce induce genitile warts treatments the production of interfreron to prevent the keloid from returning following surgery , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatments “These disfiguring scars scars genital warts treatments are tender, can cause pain and burning, and can be psychologically challenging for the individuals affected by by them,” said Dr , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentsBerman , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatments“Current treatment involves removing genitile warts treatments the scars surgically, which more often than not causes the scars to recur, often larger than the original keloid removed , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentsThe genital warts treatments The use of IRMs to to prevent keloids offers hope to those individuals who struggle with these scars.” genitile warts treatments IRMs also show promise for the treatment of skin cancer and actinic keratoses, the precursor to a form of skin skin cancer , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentsBasal cell carcinoma (BCC) is genitile warts warts treatments genital warts treatments the most common form of skin cancer, accounting for more than 80 percent of all skin cancers each year , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentsIf detected and treated early, BCC has a a 95 percent cure rate , genital warts treatments , genitile warts treatmentsHowever, if left untreated, it can grow into nearby areas and invade genitile warts treatments the bones |