# The Changing Paradigm in Infectious Diseases—Host-Directed Medicine: Implications for the Next Generation of ID Physicians

## TL;DR

This paper discusses a new approach in infectious diseases that combines immunotherapy with antibiotics to improve patient care and attract future specialists.

## Contribution

The paper introduces host-directed therapies as a novel paradigm for infectious diseases, integrating immunology into clinical practice.

## Key findings

- Infectious disease specialists are increasingly using immune modulators alongside antibiotics.
- The new paradigm aims to improve patient outcomes through combined immunotherapy and antimicrobial treatments.

## Abstract

The engagement of medical trainees to the field of infectious diseases has waned over recent years. While the reasons for this decline are multifactorial, one prominent concern is the perception that infectious disease specialists serve merely as gatekeepers of antibiotics. In this forward-looking perspective, we discuss a new paradigm for infectious diseases—host-directed therapies. Supported by the discovery of the mechanism of disease in many infectious diseases, coupled with the ever-expanding armamentarium of immune modulators, we envision that infectious disease physicians will soon be delivering immunotherapy coupled with antimicrobials to achieve cures that were previously impossible.

What is the future of infectious diseases? The authors provide a framework to incorporate our understanding of immunology to evolve how ID clinicians will assess infections and harness the growing arsenal of immune-activators and immunomodulators to improve patient outcomes.