Dendritic cell vaccination
Dendritic cell-based vaccines are a promising approach to cancer treatment. Many drugs are in clinical trials, and one was approved in the United States and Europe in 2010 (prostate cancer vaccine). So far, dendritic cell vaccination can only be used as an experimental treatment option for most oncological diseases. The use of innovative experimental methods is common practice for patients who do not respond sufficiently to standard therapy. You can also use this method of treatment by going abroad to one of the developed countries, including Germany.
What are dendritic cells and how do they work?
Dendritic cells (DCs) are a type of immune cells. They are classified as antigen-presenting cells. Dendritic cells do not attack the tumor or the causative agent of infectious diseases themselves. Their objective is simply to be the first to study the foreign element, absorb antigens, disassemble large molecules into parts, and present them to T cells and other types of immune cells. Through dendritic cells, they learn to recognize the tumor and subsequently attack it with more successful results.
The development of cancer means that at this point the tumor has become stronger than the immune system. It has learned to resist the immune system's attacks and pretend to be normal tissue. One mechanism for evading the immune response is a decrease in the number and activity of dendritic cells.
A new type of immunotherapy overcomes this mechanism. Dendritic cell-based vaccines renew the immune system's effective attacks on the tumor, thereby helping to bring the cancer under control.
Treatment process: general principles
The method of cancer treatment with dendritic cells is not yet a standard option. Hundreds of dendritic cell-based vaccines have already been developed. Moreover, dozens of them have successfully completed the early phases of clinical trials, and several drugs have shown good results in the final phases as well.
The general principle of cancer treatment with dendritic cells can be described as follows:
1. Blood sampling from a person.
2. Monocytes are collected from the blood.
3. Monocytes are converted into dendritic cells.
4. Immature dendritic cells are incubated with cytokines and loaded with tumor antigens, which can be either standard or patient-derived.
5. The patient receives a subcutaneous injection of the dendritic cell-based vaccine, followed by activation of the immune response.
The vaccine is therefore personalized because it is made from the patient's blood and possibly also from the patient's tumor tissue. Production takes several weeks. As a result, physicians receive several doses administered at intervals of 1-2 months.
When can vaccination be used in oncology?
Dendritic cell-based cancer vaccines are systemic treatment methods that target not only the primary tumor but also all metastases. In addition, it is still an experimental treatment method. Therefore, dendritic cell-based vaccines are most commonly used for:
• End-stage cancer
• Patients with aggressive types of tumors
• Recurrent tumors
• Inadequate response to standard therapy (when tumor foci continue to grow and biomarker levels increase despite the patient's treatment)
Dendritic cell-based vaccines are not usually used as the only treatment. They are most effective when combined with other immunotherapy methods, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors. In addition, dendritic cell-based vaccines have the advantage of working well with most other cancer treatment methods because this type of immunotherapy has low toxicity.
So far, only a small number of specialized clinics in developed countries are using dendritic cell-based vaccines. Patients who live in countries with a low level of medical care can travel abroad to benefit from this innovative cancer treatment option. You can make an appointment for your treatment through the Booking Health website. Please leave your request on the Booking Health website to find out prices for dendritic cell-based vaccine therapy, select the most suitable medical center specializing in this treatment, and make travel arrangements for your trip abroad.