Monthly Archives: March 2017

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Immunotherapy

Nanodiscs May Personalize Immunotherapy for Cancer in the Near Future

Training Your Immune System to Fight Off Cancer For You!
Training Your Immune System to Fight Off Cancer For You!

One of the highlights of immunotherapy for cancer is that the protocols are personally tailored to address your individual needs. A research team at the University of Michigan recently developed a way to customize cancer vaccines that holds promise for both current treatment and long-term immunity.

“Training” the Immune System

Immunotherapy for cancer focuses on helping your own immune system battle cancer cells. The vaccine created by the University of Michigan team uses synthetic high-density lipoproteins called nanodiscs to train the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells.

Nanodiscs use patient-specific genetic mutations, or tumor neoantigens, to trigger production of T-cells by the immune system. The T-cells then use the genetic material in the nanodiscs to target the cancer cells.

The study involved treating mice suffering from melanoma and colon cancer with a combination of checkpoint inhibitors and the nanodisc vaccine. Not only were most of the tumors eliminated, the mice remained tumor-free after the same cancer cells were reintroduced into their systems after 70 days.

University of Michigan Goes All-In on Nanodisc Research

Encouraged by the results of the test, the University of Michigan has created a biotech company named EVOQ Therapeutics to concentrate on developing and refining the nanodisc vaccine. Plans are to conduct further studies on animals before moving into clinical trials.

Issels®: Blazing the Immunotherapy for Cancer Trail

Cancer vaccines are just one of the innovative non-toxic treatments we employ at Issels®. Visit our website to learn more about our specialized testing methods and individualized integrative programs.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer

Medical University of South Carolina’s Antibody Treatment Research Holds Promise

Immunotherapy for Cancer
Immunotherapy for Cancer using Antibody Treatment

Researchers continue to make strides in discovering new cancer immunotherapy methods that help doctors successfully target tumor cells. As revealed in a recently published report, a team of scientists at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) have created a promising antibody-based therapy using a specific diagnostic marker known as GARP.

When Immune Cells Fail

Numerous studies have focused on TGF-beta, which is a protein used by regulatory T-cells (Tregs) to direct immune cells away from healthy cells. Malignant tumors get around this by releasing vast amounts of TGF-beta, essentially hijacking Tregs and causing them to suppress immune cell activity against the cancer cells.

GARP is the only known receptor that lets TGF-beta dock on cell surfaces. The MUSC team set out to determine whether GARP was the means by which tumor cells were able to harness TGF-beta.

Is GARP the Key to Activating Tregs?

After finding that GARP levels were higher in certain types of tumors, the team conducted a test in which they removed the GARP gene from mice with mammary tumors. As a result, the tumors grew more slowly and there was little metastasis to the lungs.

The MUSC team then used human GARP in mice to develop antibodies. Their hope is that in the future, cancer immunotherapy in conjunction with GARP antibodies will result in more effective treatment for breast cancer.

State-of-the-Art Cancer Immunotherapy at Issels®

For decades, Issels® has been the leader in non-toxic integrative cancer treatments that boost your own immune system’s ability to fight tumors. Contact us today to learn more about the Issels® difference.

 

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Breast Cancer, Cancer Research, Immunotherapy, Living with Cancer

Breast Cancer – It’s Not a Cancer that Affects Only Women

Men Are More Likely to Get Bladder Cancer Than Women... Are You at Risk?
Not Only Women are Affected by Breast Cancer

While breast cancer is thought of primarily as a women’s disease, men are not immune. Researchers have recently identified a specific gene mutation that increases the risk of breast cancer in men.

Identifying Genetic Triggers in Male Breast Cancer

There have been a number of studies involving women and inherited BRCA (breast cancer) gene mutations. In a two-year study that was published in 2016, a joint research team from the Anthropological Survey of India and the University of Calcutta conducted a study into genetic factors behind male breast cancer.

The researchers began by collecting blood and tissue samples from several men who had been diagnosed with breast cancer. These samples were then used for gene sequencing to identify mutations that could be causing the disease.

As a result, the scientists were able to identify mutations in the BRCA2 gene that triggered the cancer growth. In addition, the study found that lifestyle and reproductive factors such as hormonal therapy and alcohol consumption can also increase risk.

Differences between Male and Female Breast Cancer

  • The lumps (or primaries) associated with breast cancer are generally smaller in men than in women, making early detection difficult.
  • BRCA2 mutation carriers are found in lymph nodes, so men don’t experience the pain that would make them seek medical care.

Genomic Testing Personalizes Immunotherapy for Cancer

Each patient is different, so immunotherapy for cancer at Issels® uses genomic and other specialized testing to create the optimum course of treatment. Contact us today to learn more about our non-toxic integrative programs such as cancer vaccines and NK cells.