Harnessing Dendritic Cells for Cancer Immunotherapy
Dendritic cells play a crucial role in the functioning of the immune system, generating significant interest in their use as vaccines for cancer treatment.
In the body, dendritic cells help the immune system identify cancer cells and direct T-lymphocytes to them, which typically kill cancer cells and prevent the development of oncological diseases. This process involves the development of so-called “adaptive immunity,” through which the immune system learns to respond to “enemies,” in this case, malignant cells, in each subsequent encounter. Therefore, dendritic cells have significant potential as preventive vaccines against cancer.
Currently, scientists are also actively studying the effectiveness of dendritic cells as therapeutic vaccines for treating existing malignant tumors in the body. However, research results indicate that although dendritic cell (DC)-based vaccines can extend the life of patients with certain types of cancer, their ability to cure cancer remains questionable. As of now, there are no known cases where cancer has been completely cured solely with anti-cancer vaccines based on dendritic cells.
At the same time, the combined use of dendritic cell (DC)-based vaccines with other methods to maximize anti-tumor immunity may increase the overall effectiveness of treatment. At Biotherapy International, we do not use dendritic cell-based vaccines alone but can combine them with innovative immunotherapy methods such as oncolytic viruses, anti-cancer vaccines, and others.
