StemCell Therapy

ListDec 03, 2019| by Laura Elizabeth Lansdowne, Senior Science Writer for Technology Networks

Numerous treatments are available to patients with cancer.Several factorsincluding; the type and stage of a patients cancer, their general health, and preferences impact treatment options.Some available treatments harness theimmune system the bodys natural line of defense against infection and disease to fight cancer.

This list explores the different types of immunotherapy, how each type works, and takes a closer look at some examples of approved immunotherapies.

Types of adoptive cell therapyTumor-infiltrating Lymphocyte (TIL) Therapy (Unmodified Cells)Naturally occurring T cells that have already infiltrated a patients tumorare harvested from resected tumor material, activated and then expandedex vivo. The activated T cells are then re-infused into the patient. There is now a greater number of activated cells available, enhancing the bodys anti-tumor immune response.Engineered T-cell Receptor (TCR) Therapy (Modified Cells)In some cases, a patients T cells either cannot recognize a tumororare unable to activate and expand sufficiently, meaning they are incapable of mounting a response against the cancer cells. Engineered TCR therapy can be used to combat this problem. This approachinvolves taking T cells from a cancer patient, modifying themso that they are armed with a new T cell receptor that allows them to target specific tumor antigens. Bothsurfaceandintracellular proteins can be displayedas antigens attached to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) on the surface of a cancer cell.

Whilst T cells have the ability to recognize many different antigens, distinct types of T cell can be genetically engineered to recognizespecificantigen targets meaning treatment can be personalized to individual patients.Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell Therapy (Modified Cells)In this approach a patients T cells are genetically engineered to display asyntheticreceptor called a chimeric antigen receptor or CAR. CARsdisplay antigen-binding fragmentsof a specific antibody fused to an intracellular T-cell signaling domain. The CAR T cells are expanded and infused back in to the patient. CAR T cells are able torecognize a smaller range of potential antigen targetscompared to TCRs.Natural Killer (NK) Cell Therapy (Modified and Unmodified Cells)Severalnatural killer cell-based immunotherapeutic strategiesare currently being investigated. Whilst autologous NK cells expandedex vivohave been tested in a range of clinical trials for various cancers, success has been limited. This is thoughtto be due to inhibitory receptors on autologous NK cells matching self MHC class Ipresented on tumor cells, and this self recognition consequently inhibited NK cell activation.

Genetic modification of NK cells is also being investigated CAR-NK therapy is currently being clinically evaluated, for example. It is thought treatment with CAR-NK cells could offer severaladvantagesover CAR-T cells:

AdjuvantsThe term adjuvant originates from the Latin word adjuvare meaning help. Adjuvants work by activatinginnate immune pathwayswhich in turn stimulate general immune responses and promote adaptive responses. Adjuvantscan inducedamage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) and/or pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) that can activate various pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) on innate immune cells.

An antibody is a protective protein produced by B cells in response to a specific antigen. Scientists can harness the power of antibodies to supplement a patients own immune system by synthesizing customized antibodies. These antibodies specifically target antigens that are typically found in greater numbers on the surface of

Originally posted here:
Treating Cancer 5 Types of Immunotherapy - Technology Networks

This entry was posted on December 8, 2019 at 11:47 am and is filed under Immune System. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed. |