What is immunotherapy?
Our body defends itself against foreign agents through a range of cells and soluble substances (antibodies, cytokines, complement, etc) that are part of what is known as the immune system. Its main function is to establish continuous monitoring in our bodies and defend the entry of potential damaging agents. Researchers have found that it is possible to modify the immune system, or use one of its components, in order to prevent or even treat disease. An example is vaccination, which stimulates the immune system to prevent future infections (vaccines against polio, tetanus....), through the development of memory against a specific pathogen. Another example of prevention is the use of antibodies (eg, anti-tetanus immune globulin) to prevent the development of a disease. In recent years, thanks to improvements in technology, we are seeing the huge potential that some elements of the immune system can have to treat diseases such as cancer, autoimmune diseases, allergy, amongst others.
Immunotherapy is therefore to a wide spectrum of strategies for prevention (as vaccines) or treatment (with the use of antibodies, cytokines, dendritic cells...) of disease, either by induction, enhancement or suppression of immune system.
Along with the wide use that vaccines are having preventing infectious diseases worldwide, the great value of Immunotherapy in many pathologies can not underestimated. Specifically in the case of autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, where the use of antibodies with anti-inflammatory (eg, blocking a cytokine such as tumor necrosis factor or TNF) is changing the expectations of many people suffering it, bringing hope to therapies less aggressive and with less side effects. The same occurs with macular degeneration in older patients, who are returning to regain vision after immunotherapeutic treatment.
The field of cancer is especially attractive for the use of Immunotherapy, not only because it is possible to use components that are directed against the tumor (such as antibodies), but also because it is known that the immune system has an important role in monitoring the tumor process, which is possible to increase. The use of cytokines, dendritic cells, anti-tumor vaccination, therapeutic antibodies, or combinations thereof, opens as a hope to cure many tumor diseases.
Areces Foundation symposium “Changing the tumor microenvironment: New immun...
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