Dendritic cell therapy for cancer: what is it and how does it work?
More and more medical scientific publications are devoted to the use of dendritic cells (DCs) in the treatment of cancer. The number of studies evaluating the effect of dendritic cells on the survival rate of patients with various types of cancer is also increasing. We will tell you what dendritic therapy is and why it may be a real breakthrough in oncology.
The principle of using dendritic cells
The regimen of the biotherapy with the use of dendritic cells is as follows:
- Blood collection
- Extraction of mononuclear cells from it in the laboratory
- Placing them in the nutrient medium and isolating the adherent cell fraction
- Incubation and removal of non-adherent cells (mainly lymphocytes)
- Differentiation of the mononuclear cells into immature dendritic cells
- Addition of tumor antigens, such as tumor cell lysate, to mature dendritic cells after a few days
- Collection, precipitation, centrifugation, washing, counting, and dilution of dendritic cells after two days for vaccine production
The dendritic cells are then administered as an injection into the person, usually subcutaneously. The remaining cells are cryopreserved (frozen).
After the injection is made, dendritic cells meet T cells in the lymphatic system and “teach” them how to recognize tumor cells. This “teaching” occurs through the presentation of tumor antigen fragments. As a result of the improved recognition of cancer cells by the T cells, an anti-tumor immune response is activated after injection that achieves the goals of therapy. These objectives may include tumor shrinkage, increased life expectancy, reduced risk of cancer recurrence after a surgical procedure, and increased recurrence-free survival rates.
Why are there high hopes for treatment with dendritic cells?
In recent years, many effective cancer therapy options have been developed that have significantly improved survival rates for certain categories of patients. For example, these include:
- Lutetium-177 targeted radionuclide therapy, but it can only be used for prostate cancer
- Several types of intraperitoneal chemotherapy, but these can only be used for peritoneal carcinomatosis
- Radioembolization, which is used primarily for liver neoplasms
- CAR T-cell therapy, which is well established for hemoblastosis
All of these therapeutic methods produce impressive treatment results, but they have narrow fields of application. This means that they are suitable for a small number of patients with specific cancers.
In contrast, dendritic cell-based vaccines can be used for most oncological diseases. Just as chemotherapy or radiation therapy is appropriate for most cancer patients, many will be able to be treated with dendritic cells. And dendritic cells can be used at different stages of oncology. They can be used to control cancer with advanced metastases as well as one of the options for adjuvant (postoperative) therapy.
Advantages of dendritic cell-based vaccines
Innovative personalized dendritic cell immunotherapy has many benefits. These include:
- Applicable to most oncological diseases
- Relatively safe and well tolerated
- Does not require long hospital stays
- Can be combined with most other cancer treatment options, including other immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors
- Highly effective
The treatment is non-toxic because DCs work solely by modulating and activating the human immune system.
Few dendritic cell-based vaccines are currently approved for clinical use. Most are still in clinical trials. Some have already shown good results. If you want to benefit from this innovative cancer treatment, you can travel to Germany and have it in one of the best hospitals in this country. The specialists at the Booking Health company will help you find a clinic that uses dendritic cells.
You are welcome to use the Booking Health service to make an appointment for your treatment on your preferred dates, find out prices, and get travel organization services. You will receive a good discount due to the absence of additional fees for foreign patients, as well as an insurance that protects against medical expenses not included in the program.
