Strategies of cancer Immunotherapy

Antibodies are an active form of immunotherapy. Antibodies are targeted at cancer cells that are rapidly reproducing. Antibodies bind to the proteins that line cancer cells. Antibodies attach to cancer cells to make the cell recognizable, or seem foreign, to the immune system. Once the antibody has made the cancer cell detectable to the immune system, it is killed by immune cells called T cells. In addition, the antibody attached to the protein blocks signals given to the cell that cause them to reproduce. Therefore, isolating the cancerous cells make them easier to kill. ​

Immunotherapy vaccines are similar to any other vaccine, such as the flu, that it is preventative from cancer recurring and effective in treatment. Vaccinations cause the patient’s immune system to develop antibodies against cancer cells. Vaccinations direct immune cells specifically to cancer tissue.

Activating immune cells is combated with adoptive cell transfer, given through vaccinations. Vaccinations can be engineered using the patient’s own tumor cells. This is performed by extracting tumor cells and radiating them to stop from growing. When the tumor cells are injected back into the cancerous region, they are paired with antigens to make the cancer more recognizable to the immune system. Antigens are toxins that simulate immune responses.

Another form of adoptive cell transfer is to extract immune cells from the blood and engineer them with tumor specific receptors. Injecting this back into the cancer region activates cytokines and creates an immune response.

Cytokines are proteins naturally produces by the body and activate immune responses. Cytokines impact the behavior of cells and cell signals. Cytokines are specifically targeted in immunotherapy treatment. Blocking these proteins cause the immune system to respond and kill cancer cells. Targeting these proteins make cancer cells recognizable by blocking its signals.

This is the newest strategy of immunotherapy. non-specific immunity is achieved by removing checkpoint blockades. Immune blockades prevent damage of healthy tissue, but have to be removed in order to fight cancer. Immune checkpoint inhibitors take the breaks off of the immune system. The immune system naturally shuts off when it is not threatened, which cancer cells alone do not appear to be threatening.

PD-1 is a checkpoint protein on immune cells called T cells. This protein acts as switch to turn immune responses off. PD-L1 is a protein that is associated with healthy cells and cancerous cells. When both proteins come in contact with another, it is easy for the cancer cells to disguise themselves and block immune responses. Immunotherapy targets theses checkpoint blockades and makes the cancer recognizable for the T cells (immune cells) to attack.