Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy aims to harness the body's immune system to recognize and eliminate diseased cells, primarily cancer cells, by boosting its natural defenses.

Immune checkpoint blockade involves the use of antibodies that block inhibitory immune checkpoints, such as PD-1 and CTLA-4, to unleash the anti-tumor activity of T cells.

Adoptive cell therapy involves modifying and expanding a patient's own immune cells, such as T cells, to recognize and attack cancer cells more effectively.

CAR T-cell therapy involves genetically modifying T cells to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) that recognize and bind to specific antigens on cancer cells, leading to their destruction.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors work by blocking the activity of inhibitory immune checkpoints, such as PD-1 and CTLA-4, which normally suppress T cell activity, thereby enhancing the anti-tumor immune response.

Cytokine therapy involves administering cytokines, such as interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-alpha (IFN-α), to stimulate and enhance the immune system's response against cancer cells.

Cancer vaccines work by introducing tumor-specific antigens into the body, which stimulates the immune system to recognize and mount an immune response against cancer cells.

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are composed of antibodies that are linked to cytotoxic drugs. When the antibody binds to a specific antigen on a cancer cell, it delivers the drug directly to the cancer cell, leading to its destruction.

Adoptive cell therapy offers the advantage of long-lasting immune memory, meaning that the modified immune cells can continue to recognize and attack cancer cells even after treatment is completed.

Adoptive cell therapy, particularly CAR T-cell therapy, has shown promising results in treating hematologic malignancies by genetically modifying a patient's own T cells to target and eliminate cancer cells.

Immune checkpoint blockade works by blocking the activity of inhibitory immune checkpoints, such as PD-1 and CTLA-4, which normally suppress T cell activity, thereby releasing the brakes on the immune system and allowing it to attack cancer cells more effectively.

Virotherapy involves the use of genetically modified viruses that are engineered to selectively infect and kill cancer cells, while sparing healthy cells.

Cancer vaccines aim to stimulate the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells by introducing tumor-specific antigens into the body, thereby generating an immune response against the cancer.

Immune checkpoint blockade involves the use of antibodies that target and block the activity of inhibitory immune checkpoints, such as PD-1 and CTLA-4, which normally suppress T cell activity, thereby enhancing the immune response against cancer cells.

Immune checkpoint blockade often has reduced side effects compared to traditional chemotherapy, as it targets specific immune pathways rather than affecting healthy cells throughout the body.