Therapy that boosts the body's own immune system to fight diseases like cancer, infections, or autoimmune disorders by helping it better recognize and attack harmful cells. Key types include CAR T-cell therapy, checkpoint inhibitors, and antibody therapies, which use modified immune cells or lab-made substances to enhance immune response. It works by stimulating natural defenses, adding immune components, or training cells to target specific threats, offering hope for advanced cancers and other conditions.
How it Works
Stimulates the Immune System: Uses substances (like cytokines) or methods (like mRNA) to "turn up" the immune response.
Adds Immune Components: Introduces lab-made proteins (like monoclonal antibodies) or cells to act like natural immune parts.
Trains Immune Cells (Cell Therapy): Extracts a patient's immune cells (like T-cells), modifies them to better target cancer, multiplies them, and reintroduces them.
Common Types & Examples
Checkpoint Inhibitors: Drugs (e.g., Atezolizumab) that block proteins cancer uses to hide from T-cells, allowing them to attack.
CAR T-Cell Therapy: Genetically engineering a patient's T-cells to create Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cells to find and kill cancer.
Monoclonal Antibodies: Lab-produced antibodies that target specific cancer cells or block signals, like Bevacizumab.
Vaccines: Some cancer vaccines (like BCG for bladder cancer) stimulate an immune response.
Conditions Treated
Cancers: Lung, melanoma, leukemia, lymphoma, kidney, bladder, and many others.
Allergies: Desensitizing the body to allergens.
Autoimmune Diseases: Modulating overactive immune responses (e.g., lupus, rheumatoid arthritis).
Transplant Rejection: Helping the body accept transplanted organs.