All posts by Chris

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Immunotherapy, Uncategorized

Non-Specific Cancer Immunotherapy Stimulates the Immune System

New Immunotherapy Drugs Can Help Fight Bladder Cancer
Non Targeted Immunotherapy

Targeted cancer therapies work by directly interacting with molecules that aid the growth and spread of cancer cells. Non-specific immunotherapy for cancer acts behind the scenes to bolster the immune system’s ability to fight cancer cells.

Types of Non-Specific Cancer Immunotherapy

Some non-specific therapies are administered on their own, while others are used as adjutants, which means they are used to supplement a main treatment such as a cancer vaccine. A few therapies are used in both ways, depending on the form of cancer being treated.

  • Cytokines are chemicals produced by certain immune cells that play an important role in the growth and activity of other immune cells. They are divided into interleukins, which speed up growth and division of immune cells, and interferons, which aid the body in resisting cancer as well as viral infections.
  • Immune checkpoint inhibitors help the immune system identify cancer cells that use certain proteins to evade detection.
  • Immunomodulating drugs (IMiDs) such as thalidomide, lenalidomide and pomalidomide appear to give a general boost to the immune system, although at present it’s not known exactly how they work.
  • Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) is a germ that triggers the immune system by infecting tissue, although it doesn’t present a threat of serious disease. BCG is one of the earliest forms of immunotherapy for cancer.

Issels® Uses Both Targeted and Non-Specific Immunotherapy

As a leader in the field of immunotherapy for cancer, Issels® uses advanced methods such as vaccines and LAK cells in our individually tailored treatment protocols. Contact us to learn more about how immunotherapy may be the answer for you.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Immunotherapy

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors – The Role They Play in Cancer Immunotherapy

Using the Body to Fight Cancer
Using the Body to Fight Cancer

“Immune checkpoint inhibitors” is a term increasingly heard in reference to advancements in immunotherapy for cancer. These drugs have shown the ability to aid your body’s own immune system in attacking and killing cancer cells.

Lifting the Disguise from Cancer Cells

Think of checkpoints as your internal customs agents. Checkpoint proteins help the immune system differentiate between normal cells and foreign cells, then trigger a defensive response against the invaders.

Cancer cells sometimes have larger amounts of proteins than found in normal cells, which provide a camouflage allowing them to grow and divide without interference from the immune system. Checkpoint inhibitors target the appropriate proteins, removing the “mask” so the immune system can do its job.

Types of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

PD-1, which is found on T-cells, acts as a checkpoint by binding itself to another protein called PD-L1, letting the T-cells know they should leave the other cells alone.

  • Pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and nivolumab (Opdivo) target PD-1 on the T-cells.
  • Atezolizumab (Tecentriq) targets PD-L1, the protein that helps cancer cells evade the immune system.
  • Ipilimumab (Yervoy) targets CTLA-4, another protein found on T-cells.

These drugs have been successfully used to treat kidney cancer, melanoma, bladder cancer, Hodgkin’s lymphoma and non-small cell lung cancer. Research continues on other types of cancer, using these drugs independently as well as in combination with other drugs.

Issels®: A Pioneer in Immunotherapy for Cancer

Immune checkpoint inhibitors are just one of the cutting-edge treatments used at Issels®. Our individually designed protocols may also include cancer vaccines and activation of natural killer cells. Contact us to learn more about our non-toxic, state-of-the-art protocols.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy, News

What’s Happening in Immunotherapy Research – Part Two

Advances in Cancer Therapies
Advances in Cancer Therapies

There’s so much exciting news in research involving immunotherapy for cancer that we couldn’t cover it all in one post! Here’s a continuation of our look at new and improved ways scientists are finding to fight cancer.

Cancer Vaccines

Vaccines have long been a promising form of treatment for cancer. One roadblock limiting progress is the ability of cancer cells to fly under the radar of the immune system.

Armed with a growing body of knowledge gained through years of research, scientists are finding methods to boost the effectiveness of vaccines. For example, vaccines are sometimes given in tandem with substances called adjuvants that make the immune response more efficient.

Checkpoint Inhibitors

You may have seen advertisements for products such as nivolumab, which is referred to as an immune checkpoint inhibitor. Cancer cells often elude the immune system by “hiding” behind checkpoint proteins that prevent immune responses against normal cells. Inhibitors target the checkpoints, freeing the immune system to attack cancer cells.

Oncolytic Viruses

Viruses are normally something to avoid, but researchers have found ways to harness their ability to infect and kill cells. Specific modifications alter certain viruses, creating oncolytic viruses that direct their attacks toward cancer cells, while also alerting the immune system to take action.

Is Immunotherapy for Cancer the Answer for You?

For years, Issels® has been a leader in immunotherapy treatments such as cancer vaccines and gene-targeted therapies. Contact us for more information about our non-toxic immunotherapy programs and how they are individually tailored to meet your specific needs.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy, News

What’s Happening in Immunotherapy Research – Part One

What's New in Immunotherapy
What’s New in Immunotherapy

As immunotherapy for cancer continues to gain traction in the medical community, researchers around the globe are directing their efforts toward finding new treatment methods and improving existing ones. Here’s a look at some of the exciting developments in immunotherapy treatments that are making news today.

Refining Monoclonal Antibodies

Monoclonal antibodies, or mAbs, are proteins that take advantage of the difference between cancer cells and normal cells. Scientists are exploring ways to make mAbs even more powerful, such as attaching them to drugs or other substances, while making them less likely to trigger an immune response. They are also working on combining mAbs for a more focused attack on tumors.

CAR T-Cells

T-cells, which are part of the immune system, have long been a major subject of immunotherapy research. Recent trials involve removing T-cells from a patient, genetically adding CARs (chimeric antigen receptors), then returning them to the patient’s blood, where they can more precisely target cancer cells. This method has shown particularly promising results in cases featuring advanced forms of leukemia and lymphoma.

Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes

Another approach using T-cells centers on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) found deep within tumors. The TILs are removed from tumor samples and treated with interleukin-2 so they multiply rapidly. Once injected back into the patient, the TILs are better equipped to fight cancer cells.

Issels®: A Pioneer in Immunotherapy Treatments

In our next post, we’ll continue our look at the latest updates on research centering on immunotherapy for cancer. Contact us to learn more about how Issels® has been a leader in personalized, non-toxic immunotherapy protocols.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Immunotherapy

Monoclonal Antibodies – The Role They Play in Cancer Immunotherapy

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Fighting Cancer with Monoclonal Antibodies

Researchers have developed many new ways to treat cancer, and immunotherapy for cancer has played a large role in their discoveries. Here at Issels®, we’re proud to provide immunotherapy for cancer to our patients as a treatment alternative to chemotherapy and radiation.

In recent discoveries, extensive research has been conducted on Monoclonal Antibodies (MAbs) and the important role they play in treating cancer.

Understanding Antibodies and Their Role in the Body

When your body detects a foreign substance – whether it’s cancer cells or a common infection – your immune system immediately goes to work creating antibodies to fight what doesn’t belong in its environment. The foreign substance is called an antigen, and antibodies will search until it’s been found. Once it’s found, your immune system attacks it.

Researchers have found that by isolating certain antibodies and then reproducing them in a laboratory setting, they are able to target specific cancer cells.

How Monoclonal Antibodies are used in Immunotherapy for Cancer

Just as there are many different types of antigens, there are many types of cancers. MAbs have been shown to be effective against certain types of cancer. The challenge has been that the MAbs must be tailored to go after the right antigen, and that is causing a delay in using this treatment for all types of cancer.

Even so, research is ongoing and experts are hopeful that this new protocol might bring us one step closer to finding a cure.

Here at Issels®, we’re committed to providing you with the best immunotherapy treatment for cancer. If you would like to learn more about how this type of cancer treatment can help you, contact us.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Immunotherapy

Targeted Cancer Therapy – Why It Is an Important Breakthrough

Targeted Cancer Therapy Can Bring Patients New Hope!
Targeted Cancer Therapy Can Bring Patients New Hope!

One of the drawbacks of conventional chemotherapy treatments is that the drugs kill both cancer cells and healthy cells indiscriminately. Targeted cancer therapy has been a valuable breakthrough in focusing treatment directly on cancer cells while sparing healthy ones.

Targeted Cancer Therapy: A Major Step Forward

Standard chemotherapy drugs go after cells with rapid growth and division. Problems arise because that can also be a trait of certain normal cells, and the drugs can’t tell the difference between the two.

Targeted cancer therapy is technically a form of chemo, but the way it works is more closely aligned with immunotherapy for cancer, which aids the body’s natural immune response. Instead of attacking cells globally, targeted therapy zeroes in on the gene changes that distinguish cancer cells from healthy ones.

How Does Targeted Therapy Attack Cancer Cells?

Targeted drugs have a number of “weapons” in their cancer-fighting arsenal. Some essentially starve cancer cells by cutting off blood vessel production or altering proteins within the cells. Others work in tandem with the immune system, alerting it to the presence of cancer cells that might otherwise escape detection.

While targeted cancer therapy comes with some side effects, they are generally fewer and less serious than the ones that accompany chemotherapy. Targeted therapy is sometimes used on its own, but more often it’s used in combination with conventional chemo, radiation or other treatments.

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

At Issels®, our individually tailored treatment programs include targeted therapy, cancer vaccines and other cutting-edge techniques to work with your body’s immune system. Contact us to learn more about our non-toxic protocols.