Tag Archives: Immunotherapy for Cancer

Cancer Research, Immunotherapy, Immunotherapy for Cancer

Immunotherapy: A Doctor’s Fundamental Change in Treating Cancer

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

Traditional cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation are directed at fighting tumors head-on. Immunotherapy for cancer, which is aimed at making the body’s immune system more effective against tumors, has created a fundamental change in the way doctors approach treatment.

A Long-Held “Medical Dream” Becomes Reality

While the earliest attempts at immunotherapy date back more than 100 years, it presented too much of a puzzle to doctors. As a result, radiation and chemotherapy surpassed immunotherapy as the treatments of choice for cancer.

As modern research with immunotherapy uncovered more effective methods with documented track records, medical and financial floodgates have opened. Charitable organizations, pharmaceutical companies and the federal government are dedicating billions of dollars to fund hundreds of trials involving various treatments on every type of cancer.

Boosting the Body’s Own Immune System

While there is still much to learn, researchers are focusing primarily on two types of immunotherapy for cancer:

  • In the first method, a doctor removes some of the patient’s own immune cells and creates genetic alterations enabling them to attack cancer cells, at which point they are added back to the bloodstream.
  • The second method makes use of drugs known as checkpoint inhibitors, which block the mechanism used by cancer cells to evade detection and attack by the immune system.

Issels®: Leading the Way in Immunotherapy for Cancer

Our immunotherapy center has continued the groundbreaking work of our founder, Dr. Josef M. Issels, using state-of-the-art therapies to treat patients with all forms of cancer. Contact us today to learn more about our non-toxic treatments such as cancer vaccines and NK cells.

 

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, Immuno-Oncology, Immunotherapy

Higher Genetic Mistakes in Tumors May Predict a Better Result for Immunotherapy Treatment

Immunotherapy Can Expand Options for Those With Limited Cancer Treatment Options
Immunotherapy Can Expand Options for Those With Limited Cancer Treatment Options

For many patients with difficult-to-treat tumors, immunotherapy for cancer has successfully expanded their previously limited options. According to a study recently presented at the American Society of Clinical Oncology conference, a new immunotherapy drug has shown promise for treatment of advanced bladder cancer.

The Power of Checkpoint Inhibitors

Researchers speaking at the ASCO conference in Chicago last June reported on the results of clinical trials for atezolizumab, marketed under the name Tecentriq. Atezolizumab is one of a growing number of treatments referred to as checkpoint inhibitors.

Cancer cells often get a foothold by flying under the radar of immune cells, which are your body’s main line of defense against bacteria, viruses and other “invaders.” Checkpoint inhibitors target a molecule called PD-L1, thereby releasing immune cells to attack and kill the rogue cancer cells.

Tumors with “High Mutational Burden” Respond to Immunotherapy

A follow-up analysis to the bladder cancer trials indicated that tumors with a “high mutational burden,” which refers to the number of genetic faults in the cells, appear to be more receptive to immunotherapy. Dr. Jonathan Rosenburg of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in NYC explained that it was made easier for the immune system to identify the mutated cells in such tumors.

Issels®: A Leader in Immunotherapy for Cancer

Our state-of-the-art non-toxic immunotherapy treatments have been used successfully on patients with all forms of cancer, including bladder, breast and melanoma. Visit our website to learn more about our cancer vaccines, gene-targeted therapies and other protocols individually designed to address your specific needs.

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

Pancreatic Cancer: Hijacking the Immune System to Hide Its Growth

Pancreatic Cancer: Hijacking the Immune System to Hide Its Growth
Pancreatic Cancer: Hijacking the Immune System to Hide Its Growth

With a five-year survival rate of only three percent, pancreatic cancer is one of the more difficult types of cancer to treat. Scientists from Cancer Research UK, in collaboration with scientists from pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, recently announced their discovery of a promising method to help defeat these tumors.

Pancreatic Cancer’s “Stealth Attack”

The immune system is your body’s first line of defense against cancer cells and other foreign bodies that threaten your health. In the case of pancreatic cancer, once the cells make it past the initial gauntlet, they move on to hijack parts of the immune system to facilitate their growth.

The UK study, published in Cancer Cell, reported the team’s discovery of CXCR2, which is a protein that serves as the gatekeeper for pancreatic tumors, guarding them from attack by immune cells. Use of an experimental drug that blocks CXCR2 allowed T-cells to enter the tumor, making it more vulnerable to treatment.

Immunotherapy for Pancreatic Cancer

Until now, the shielding process has made pancreatic cancer particularly resistant to immunotherapy. Professor Peter Johnson, chief clinician at Cancer Research UK, said their study suggests that using the new drug in concert with immunotherapy treatments could create “a powerful weapon” in the fight against pancreatic cancer.

Using the Body’s Natural Defenses to Defeat Cancer

For more than 60 years, our Issels® center has been the leader in the use of immunotherapy for pancreatic cancer and many other types. Contact us today for more information about our personalized non-toxic treatments, including cancer vaccines, hyperthermia and gene-targeted therapies.

Alternative Cancer Treatment, Cancer Research, Immunotherapy

Gut Flora and Cancer – the Important Connection

Using Gut Flora in Treatment Has Benefits Comparable to Anti-Cancer Drugs
Using Gut Flora in Treatment Has Benefits Comparable to Anti-Cancer Drugs

When it comes to your health, the term “bacteria” usually inspires a negative reaction. You may be surprised to learn that your body actually harbors “good” bacteria that boosts your immune system and plays a role in preventing cancer.

The Role of Gut Flora

Your body’s microbiome is a network containing trillions of organisms such as bacteria, fungi and viruses. Some are positive and some are not, but they all work together to maintain a balance that keeps your system in good working condition.

In the late 1990s, scientists began to discover the crucial value of the group of organisms centered in your colon, referred to as “gut flora.” Research has found that healthy gut flora contributes to a strong immune system, which is your body’s first line of defense against foreign organisms that cause illness and disease.

Gut Flora and the Fight against Cancer

Cancer cells can often evade detection by your body’s immune system, allowing them to grow unchecked. Traditional therapies such as radiation and chemotherapy are effective, but they end up destroying healthy cells as well.

Researchers from the University of Chicago, encouraged by positive results from testing on mice, included gut flora as part of integrative immunotherapy treatments. The successful results were comparable to the beneficial effects of anti-cancer drugs.

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

Integrative immunotherapy programs used at Issels® are focused on harnessing your body’s own natural defenses to destroy cancer cells. Visit our website to learn more about our cancer vaccines, immune enhancement protocols and other personalized non-toxic treatments.