Sarcoma immunotherapy is an emerging treatment strategy designed to enhance the body’s immune response against these complex and diverse tumors. With advancements in research and technology, immunotherapy has become a crucial component in the fight against sarcoma, offering hope to patients who may not respond to traditional therapies. Sarcoma refers to a type of malignant tumor that can affect various tissues, including muscles, ligaments, tendons, bones, fatty tissues, and nerves.
There are nearly 100 different types of sarcomas, categorized mainly into two groups: bone sarcomas (such as osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, and chondrosarcoma) and soft tissue sarcomas (including angiosarcoma, lymphosarcoma, and rhabdomyosarcoma). Sarcomas can develop in almost any part of the body and often grow rapidly by invading surrounding tissue and frequently metastasizing.
Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Sarcoma
Immunotherapy for sarcoma activates the patient’s immune system to kill cancer cells. Immunology treatment enhances, directs, or restores the body’s natural defenses against cancer.
One key approach in sarcoma immunotherapy is checkpoint inhibitor therapy, which has shown effectiveness in treating both soft tissue and bone sarcomas. Immune cells like T-cells, as well as some cancer cells, carry specific proteins (checkpoints) on their surfaces that regulate immune responses. These receptors can prevent T-cells from attacking cancer cells by evading the immune response. By blocking these checkpoints, T-cells can more effectively target and destroy cancer cells.
Types of Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapies for Sarcoma
- CTLA-4 Inhibitors: CTLA-4 is a protein on T-cells that helps control immune responses. When CTLA-4 binds to another protein (B7) on a cancer cell, it prevents the T-cell from killing the cancer cell. CTLA-4 inhibitors block CTLA-4, enabling T-cells to attack cancer cells instead of being “switched off” by B7. Ipilimumab is an example of a CTLA-4 inhibitor used in sarcoma treatment.
- PD-1 and PD-L1 Inhibitors: PD-1 is a protein expressed byT-cells that also regulate immune responses, while PD-L1 is found on some cancer cells. When PD-1 binds to PD-L1, it prevents the T-cell from killing cancer cells. PD-1 and PD-L1 inhibitors block this interaction, allowing T-cells to destroy cancer cells. Pembrolizumab and nivolumab are PD-1 inhibitors used to treat advanced and recurrent sarcomas. Nivolumab is often combined with ipilimumab for more effective treatment.
Innovative Sarcoma Immunotherapy
At Biotherapy International, we offer experimental immunotherapy treatments for sarcoma, such as oncolytic viruses, cancer vaccines, and the ATACK method, to kill cancer cells and activate the body’s natural anti-tumor mechanisms.
Oncolytic Viruses for Sarcoma
Oncolytic viruses are completely safe for humans, as they selectively target only tumor cells. They act both directly by penetrating cancer cells and causing their death, and indirectly by enhancing the body’s immune response to the tumor. Cancer cells marked by the virus are more easily recognized and destroyed by the immune system.
Cancer Vaccines for Sarcoma
Anti-Cancer Vaccines train the patient’s immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells. Custom-designed vaccines for each patient are created from their own tumor, obtained during surgery. A key benefit is their ability to turn “cold tumors”—invisible to the immune system—into “hot tumors” that immune cells can easily detect and attack.
ATACK
The ATACK method (Allogeneic Targeted Activated Cancer Killers) uses specially selected donor lymphocytes, targeted with monoclonal antibodies, to selectively destroy cancer cells. Potentially, when applied at the Minimal Residual Disease (MRD) stage, this method could completely cure cancer.
Prognosis for Immunotherapy in Sarcoma
Immunotherapy represents a groundbreaking advance in sarcoma treatment, offering new possibilities and hope for patients at various stages of sarcoma. This approach activates the immune system and provides personalized treatment that helps extend patients’ lives, improve their quality of life, and, under optimal conditions, cure the disease. At Biotherapy International, we are at the forefront of immunotherapy, providing innovative approaches that extend beyond conventional treatment methods.
Contact us today to learn more about our innovative treatments and how they can benefit you!
