Journal of Cell Science & Therapy
Open Access

Mechanism and Significant Characteristics of Immunotherapy

Oliver Lambotte^{* *}Correspondence: Oliver Lambotte, Department of Clinical Immunology, Paris Saclay University, Paris, France, Email:

Author info »

Description

Immunotherapy has revolutionized the treatment landscape for various diseases, particularly cancer. By harnessing and enhancing the body's immune system to fight disease, immunotherapy offers a promising alternative or complement to traditional treatments like surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.

Mechanisms of immunotherapy

Immunotherapy works by modulating the immune system to recognize and combat pathogens or abnormal cells. The immune system can distinguish between normal and abnormal cells, including cancerous cells, through antigens molecules present on the surface of cells.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors: Immune checkpoints are regulatory pathways in the immune system that maintain selftolerance and modulate the duration and amplitude of physiological immune responses. Cancer cells often exploit these pathways to avoid immune detection. Checkpoint inhibitors, such as PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors and CTLA-4 inhibitors, block these checkpoints, allowing T cells to attack cancer cells more effectively.

CAR-T cell therapy: Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy involves modifying a patient's T cells to express a receptor specific to cancer cells. These engineered T cells are then expanded in the laboratory and reintroduced into the patient’s body, where they seek out and destroy cancer cells. CAR-T cell therapy has shown remarkable success in treating certain types of blood cancers.

Cancer vaccines: Cancer vaccines stimulate the immune system to attack cancer cells. These vaccines can be preventive, like the HPV vaccine, which protects against virus-induced cancers, or therapeutic, designed to treat existing cancer by inducing an immune response against specific tumor antigens.

Monoclonal antibodies: Monoclonal antibodies are lab-created molecules that can bind to specific targets on cancer cells. They can mark cancer cells for destruction by the immune system, block growth signals, or deliver toxic substances directly to cancer cells. Examples include rituximab, used for certain types of lymphoma, and trastuzumab, used for HER2-positive breast cancer.

Types of immunotherapy

Non-specific immune stimulation: This type involves the general enhancement of the immune system. Agents like interferons and interleukins are used to boost the overall immune response, helping the body fight cancer or infections more effectively.

Adoptive cell transfer: Adoptive cell transfer involves the collection and use of patients' immune cells to treat their cancer. The cells are modified, expanded, and reintroduced into the patient’s body to help combat the disease. CAR-T cell therapy is a prime example.

Oncolytic virus therapy: Oncolytic virus therapy uses genetically modified viruses that selectively infect and kill cancer cells. These viruses not only destroy cancer cells directly but also stimulate an immune response against the tumor.

Cytokine therapy: Cytokines, such as interleukins and interferons, are proteins that play important roles in the immune response. Cytokine therapy involves the administration of these proteins to boost the immune system’s ability to fight cancer.

Benefits of immunotherapy

Immunotherapy offers several advantages over traditional cancer treatments

Specificity and precision: Immunotherapy can specifically target cancer cells while sparing healthy cells, reducing the collateral damage typically seen with chemotherapy and radiation.

Long-lasting protection: Immunotherapy can provide durable responses and long-term protection by establishing immunological memory, which helps prevent cancer recurrence.

Combination potential: Immunotherapy can be combined with other treatments, such as chemotherapy, radiation, and targeted therapies, to enhance overall effectiveness.

Effective against resistant cancers: Immunotherapy has shown success in treating cancers that are resistant to conventional treatments, offering hope to patients with limited options.

Conclusion

Immunotherapy represents a innovative advancement in medical science, offering new hope for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. Its ability to specifically target diseased cells, provide long-term protection, and work in synergy with other therapies underscores its potential as a foundation for modern medicine. However, challenges such as immune-related side effects, response variability, cost, and the tumor microenvironment must be addressed to fully realize its benefits.