Cancer immunotherapy also called immuno-oncology is the artificial stimulation of the immune system to treat cancer, improving on the immune system's natural ability to fight the disease.

Cancer immunotherapy exploits the fact that cancer cells often have tumor antigens, molecules on their surface that can be detected by the antibody proteins of the immune system, binding to them. The tumor antigens are often proteins or other macromolecules (e.g., carbohydrates).Normal antibodies bind to external pathogens, but the modified immunotherapy antibodies bind to the tumor antigens marking and identifying the cancer cells for the immune system to inhibit or kill.

Categories

Immunotherapies is of two types active and passive

Active immunotherapy specifically targets tumor cells via the immune system. Examples include cancer vaccines and CAR-T cell, and targeted antibody therapies.

Passive immunotherapy does not directly target tumor cells, but enhances the ability of the immune    system to attack cancer cells. Examples include checkpoint inhibitors and cytokines.

Active cellular therapies aim to destroy cancer cells by recognition of distinct markers known as antigens. In cancer vaccines, the goal is to generate an immune response to these antigens through a vaccine. Cell types that can be used in this way are natural killer (NK) cells, lymphokine-activated killer cells, cytotoxic T cells and dendritic cells. Finally, specific antibodies can be developed that recognize cancer cells and target them for destruction by the immune system.

Passive antibody therapies aim to increase the activity of the immune system without specifically targeting cancer cells. For example, cytokines directly stimulate the immune system and increase immune activity.

Dendritic cell therapy

Dendritic cell therapy provokes anti-tumor responses by causing dendritic cells to present tumor antigens to lymphocytes, which activates them, priming them to kill other cells that present the antigen. Dendritic cells are antigen presenting cells (APCs) in the mammalian immune system.[5] In cancer treatment they aid cancer antigen targeting.[6] The only approved cellular cancer therapy based on dendritic cells is sipuleucel-T.

Antibody therapy

Antibodies are a key component of the adaptive immune response, playing a central role in both recognizing foreign antigens and stimulating an immune response. Antibodies are Y-shaped proteins produced by some B cells and are composed of two regions: an antigen-binding fragment (Fab), which binds to antigens, and a Fragment crystallizable (Fc) region, which interacts with so-called Fc receptors that are expressed on the surface of different immune cell types including macrophages, neutrophils and NK cells.

Cytokine therapy

Cytokines are proteins produced by many types of cells present within a tumor. They can modulate immune responses. The tumor often employs them to allow it to grow and reduce the immune response. These immune-modulating effects allow them to be used as drugs to provoke an immune response. Two commonly used cytokines are interferons and interleukins.

Combination immunotherapy

Combining various immunotherapies such as PD1 and CTLA4 inhibitors can enhance anti-tumor response leading to durable responses.Combining ablation therapy of tumors with immunotherapy enhances the immune stimulating response and has synergistic effects for curative metastatic cancer treatment.

Immunotherapy: Open Access   is an open access rapid peer reviewed journal in the field of treatment procedures. Journal announces papers for the upcoming issue. Interested can submit their manuscript through online portal.

Submit manuscript at https://www.longdom.org/submissions/immunotherapy-open-access.html or send as an e-mail attachment to the Editorial Office at immunotherarpy@longdomjournal.org

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Immunotherapy: Open Access

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