What are dendritic cells and how do they destroy tumors?
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Many people have heard that dendritic cells therapy is increasingly being used in developed countries to fight cancer. These cells are used to create personalized vaccines that stimulate the human immune system to attack the tumor. In this publication, we will explain what dendritic cells (DCs) are and why they are the focus of much research in cancer treatment.
What are dendritic cells?
Dendritic cells are a type of immune cell. They are "professional" antigen-presenting cells. They are able to capture antigens, which are large protein molecules, and display their fragments on their surface. This is a necessary condition for the activation of T and B lymphocytes, which cannot recognize antigens on their own. They need the help of dendritic cells.
Dendritic cells were first isolated from the environment of skin epithelial cells by Langerhans back in 1868. Since then, one of the types of dendritic cells has been named after this scientist.
However, the era of DC research did not begin until 1973, when Steinman and Cohn discovered a rare type of cell in the spleen of mice that triggered an immune response. In the 1990s, interest in dendritic cells increased dramatically. They began to be grown (differentiated) in large numbers in laboratories and studied in experimental models and animals.
The era of DC vaccines began after methods were developed to extract dendritic cells from peripheral blood monocytes and bone marrow precursors. They are now used in many areas of medicine. Most commonly, dendritic cells are used in oncology, but they can also treat autoimmune and infectious diseases.
DC vaccines are used in oncology to stimulate immunity against cancer. However, some cell types also have anti-inflammatory effects that suppress immunity. Lymphoid and plasmacytoid dendritic cell subtypes are responsible for immune regulation and tolerance.
How does the cancer vaccine work?
To date, vaccines have been developed against most cancers. Dozens of drugs are in the final phases of clinical trials. For some drugs, these trials have already been completed with good results.
The principle of dendritic cell cancer treatment is as follows:
1. Blood is taken from an individual and monocytes are isolated and differentiated into immature DCs.
2. Under laboratory conditions, dendritic cells are matured by adding tumor antigens. Preferably, they are isolated from the patient's own tumor.
3. Dendritic cells are administered by subcutaneous injection. These cells migrate to the lymph nodes where they meet T lymphocytes and provide them with information about tumor antigens. As a result, the lymphocytes attack the tumor and shrink it.
Doctors usually receive several doses of the vaccine. It is then frozen and used at regular intervals.
Why is there such a great deal of interest in dendritic cell therapy?
The use of dendritic cells in oncology is attracting the attention of more and more scientists and physicians. The number of studies using dendritic cells is constantly increasing because it is one of the most promising areas in oncology.
The main reason for this is that DCs can be used to treat almost all types of cancer, not just individual cancers. In addition, dendritic cell therapy can be combined with almost any therapeutic procedure, increasing its effectiveness without significantly increasing the toxicity of the treatment. The use of dendritic cells is quite safe for the patient because they do not have any cytotoxic effects, but work solely by activating antitumor immunity.
Dendritic cell immunotherapy is already available in some specialized clinics in developed countries. DCs can be used in end-stage cancer to bring the disease under control, as well as after surgery to reduce the risk of tumor recurrence and increase the recurrence-free period.
You are welcome to use the Booking Health service to travel abroad and receive the dendritic cell vaccine treatment. Just leave your request on the website. The Booking Health specialists will select a clinic specializing in cancer immunotherapy using dendritic cells for you, make an appointment for your preferred dates, and take care of all your travel arrangements.
