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Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, Uncategorized

Cancer Treatment Using CAR-T Cells Excites Researchers with Results

There is New Hope for Cancer Patients.
There is New Hope for Cancer Patients.

Some of the most exciting breakthroughs in medicine are coming through research on immunotherapy for cancer. The recent experiences of two cancer patients illustrate why scientists are excited about these innovative treatments.

Programming the Immune System to Fight Cancer

Teenager Emma Collins and seven-year-old Kashaun Lawhown were both battling leukemia that was unresponsive to chemotherapy and radiation. They were chosen to participate in a clinical trial at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

According to Dr. Stephan Grupp, the hospital’s director of immunotherapy, the girls received treatment with CAR-T cells. The procedure involves collecting T-cells from a patient’s own white blood cells and reprogramming them to target and attack cancer cells.

These new CAR-T cells are then reintroduced into the patient’s system, where they begin to multiply and kill off cancer cells. Continued presence of CAR-T cells can also serve as protection against future recurrence.

Positive Results of Immunotherapy for Cancer

Although Kashaun had been fighting leukemia for five years, it took only a single T-cell treatment to put the cancer into remission. Emma’s results were equally astonishing. All signs of cancer were gone just four days after treatment, and she’s remained in remission for 18 months.

At this point, CAR-T therapy has been effective primarily against leukemia and lymphoma, but researchers are exploring the possibilities of use in cases of “solid” tumors such as breast and colon.

Issels®: A Leader in Immunotherapy Treatments

Issels® has been successfully using immunotherapy for cancer on patients of all ages with all forms of tumors. Visit our website to read and hear about our patients’ experiences in their own words.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, Uncategorized

New Medications Inhibit Cancer Cloaking by IDO Enzyme

New Medications Inhibit Cancer Cloaking by IDO Enzyme
New Medications Inhibit Cancer Cloaking by IDO Enzyme

 Cancer treatment research often focuses on destroying the defenses that prevent the immune system from attacking tumor cells. A promising new immunotherapy drug works by disabling one of these protective enzymes.

Disabling Cancer’s Protective Shield

IDO is an enzyme that shields a fetus from the mother’s immune system, which would perceive the fetus as an infection. During the early 2000s, researchers in Belgium discovered that tumors also express IDO, depriving T-cells of tryptophan, an amino acid that fuels T-cells.

Incyte, a small firm in Wilmington, Delaware, was the first to develop epacadostat, a drug that suppresses production of IDO. The company presented their findings, including results of the first meaningful trial in treating lung cancer, at last June’s meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology.

The Medical Community Reacts

According to Vamil Divan, an analyst at Credit Suisse, Incyte’s impressive presentation generated major interest in doctors and investors alike. Incyte also confirmed earlier research that successfully paired epacadostat with Keytruda, another immunotherapy drug, without a significant increase in side effects.

Approval of the combined epacadostat-Keytruda cancer treatment is pending results of a final trial, expected sometime next year. Merck and Bristol-Myers, two of Incyte’s initial collaborators, are working on development of their own IDO inhibitors.

Issels®: Pioneers of Immunotherapy for Cancer Treatment

IDO inhibitors are just the latest development in the field of immunotherapy, which boosts the power of your own immune system to fight cancer. Contact us to learn why Issels® has been in the forefront of using state-of-the-art immunotherapy to achieve long-term remission in patients of all ages with all forms of cancer.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, Immunotherapy for Cancer, News, Uncategorized

New Treatment Medications Target Biomarkers in Cancer Versus Location

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New Treatment Medications Target Biomarkers in Cancer Versus Location
New Treatment Medications Target Biomarkers in Cancer Versus Location

For many years, cancer treatment has traditionally focused on a tumor’s point of origin. A new form of immunotherapy for cancer that targets biomarkers could open the door for more precise and effective treatment of tumors.

Keytruda: A “Presidential” Immunotherapy for Cancer

Keytruda is the brand name of a drug that had previously been used to treat specific types of cancer such as melanoma and Hodgkin’s lymphoma, often during Stage IV. The drug earned public notice when former president Jimmy Carter received successful treatment for brain tumors resulting from Stage IV melanoma.

In May 2017, after five clinical trials, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approved Keytruda for use in treating tumors with a particular biomarker, regardless of location. At this point, the new use of Keytruda is limited to patients for whom other therapies have been unsuccessful.

Cutting Through the Red Tape

The new application for Keytruda was fast-tracked under the FDA’s Accelerated Approval program. If there’s a serious condition with no options for treatment, a drug can be approved solely on the basis that it’s been shown to shrink tumors.

Dr. Gwen Nichols, chief medical officer of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), expressed excitement for the new approval process. According to Nichols, it lets researchers focus on the biology of tumor development instead of looking for generic treatments.

Immunotherapy for Cancer Is the Talk of the Medical Community

Doctors and scientists have been buzzing about advancements in immunotherapy, but Issels® has been ahead of the curve for decades. Visit our website to learn more about our innovative immunotherapy for cancer treatments that are personally tailored for your individual needs.

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

Precision Medicine May Allow Specialized Treatment Targeting

Precision Medicine May Allow Specialized Treatment Targeting
Precision Medicine May Allow Specialized Treatment Targeting

The rise of immunotherapy and other advancements in cancer treatment have put a positive light on the longstanding fight against the disease. Unfortunately, more aggressive forms of cancer such as lung, pancreatic and brain continue to resist even the most sophisticated therapies.

Not All Tumors Are Created Equal

Renewed attention to this issue arose during recent reports of Arizona Sen. John McCain’s diagnosis of glioblastoma, a particularly stubborn form of brain cancer. Despite extensive research and testing of innumerable treatment modalities, little progress has been made against glioblastoma.

Researchers have come to realize that a paradigm shift is needed in their approach to these hard-to-treat forms of cancer that don’t “follow the rules” of other types. It’s not enough to simply apply methods used to treat tumors with similar mutations.

Targeting Hard-to-Treat Tumors with Precision Medicine

Precision medicine can help determine why these stubborn cancers have failed to respond to previous treatments. For example, the Defeat GBM Research Collaborative is systematically identifying targets for cancer treatment as well as possible areas of resistance.

The blood-brain barrier is a literal roadblock in treating glioblastoma. This network, located within small blood vessels inside the brain, keeps dangerous toxins and chemicals out, but it also repels drugs designed to attack cancer cells.

Cancer Treatment: One Size Does NOT Fit All

At Issels®, we understand that what works with one patient is not necessarily going to work with another. We use specialized testing methods to create an individual treatment program based on your personal situation. Contact us to learn more about cancer vaccines, NK cells and other non-toxic immunotherapy protocols.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Cancer Treatment, News, Uncategorized

New Blood Test Identifies Which Prostate Cancer Patients Will Respond Favorably to Specific Medications

New Blood Test Identifies Which Prostate Cancer Patients Will Respond Favorably to Specific Medications
New Blood Test Identifies Which Prostate Cancer Patients Will Respond Favorably to Specific Medications

No two cases of cancer are identical, which makes it a challenge to determine what course of cancer treatment will be most effective. Scientists are excited about a new three-in-one blood test that may open the door for precision treatment of advanced prostate cancer.

Three-Pronged Attack on Prostate Cancer

Professor Johann de Bono, leader of the team at the Institute of Cancer Research in London, explained the three functions of the blood test:

• Blood samples are initially checked for the presence of mutated BRCA genes.

• Once treatment begins, DNA in the blood is monitored to determine whether or not the patient is responding.

• In the final step, blood is tested for signs of evolving cancer that is developing a resistance to drugs.

Overcoming Cancer’s Defense Mechanisms

Cancer cells with BRCA mutations use a specific enzyme to repair themselves, making tumors resistant to treatment. Drugs called Parp inhibitors block these enzymes, causing cancer cells to die off. The blood test helps to identify patients who are most likely to respond to Parp inhibitors.

The Institute of Cancer Research’s chief executive, Paul Workman, praised the test as a simple, inexpensive and non-invasive method to develop precision cancer treatment. While the test currently focuses on prostate cancer, Professor de Bono believes it can be adapted to other forms of cancer in the future.

Issels®: Matching the Right Treatment to the Right Patient

Specialized testing has long been a part of our integrative and personalized cancer treatment programs. Contact us to learn more about how Issels® uses cancer vaccines and other immunotherapy treatments to help patients of all ages.

Cancer Care Tips, Cancer Research

Some Cancers Run in Families – What You Need to Know

Is Issels Genomic Testing for Personalized Treatment For You
Is Issels Genomic Testing for Personalized Treatment For You

Some families have two or more members who develop the same type of cancer, leading people to believe that it’s inherited. While it’s not passed along like blond hair or brown eyes, there is a genetic element to cancer than can be shared by family members.

How Cell Mutations Give Rise to Cancer

You already know that genes are responsible for certain physical characteristics like height and eye color, but they also contain information that controls cell function. A mutation is an abnormal change that prevents a gene from working properly.

Cancer results from cells that multiply uncontrollably. While the mutations that cause cancer are usually acquired, some inherited mutations affect tumor suppressor genes that act as traffic cops, regulating cell growth and death.

Is It Coincidence or Family Cancer Syndrome?

These inherited gene mutations can lead to family cancer syndrome, in which several members of a family develop similar types of tumors. Telltale factors of family cancer syndrome include:

• Cancer occurring in multiple generations

• Childhood cancer occurring in siblings

• Cancer occurring at unusually young ages

• Two or more types of cancer occurring in a single person

Many times, several diagnoses of cancer within one family can indeed be pure coincidence. They can also be related to family members being exposed to tobacco smoke or other common risk factors.

Genomic Testing for Personalized Cancer Treatment at Issels®

Since our cancer treatment programs target the tumor microenvironment as well as the cancer itself, we use highly specialized testing to address your specific needs. Visit our website to learn more about our cancer treatment that boosts your body’s own immune responses.