A smarter immunotherapy: using dendritic cells to target cancer
There are more and more publications in medical journals about the cancer treatment with dendritic cells. More and more clinics are beginning to implement this method into clinical practice as it shows good results, helps to reduce the risk of cancer recurrence after surgery and improves the control of metastatic cancer. As a systemic treatment method, dendritic cell therapy helps inhibit the growth of not only the primary tumor, but also its metastases.
What dendritic cells are and how they are used to treat cancer
Dendritic cells (DCs) are antigen-presenting cells. They show T-lymphocytes targets to attack.
DCs are the first to come into contact with antigens that enter the body. These may include tumor antigens; they are usually protein molecules of considerable size. But T-cells are unable to recognize molecules that are too large. They need the help of dendritic cells which break a large molecule into fragments and present them to the T-cells. The T-cells get information about the antigen, and now they know that cancer cells need to be attacked.
Normally, DCs activity is reduced in cancer patients. The tumor secretes substances that help it evade attacks by the immune system. But this problem is solved with the help of immunotherapy with dendritic cell vaccines.
The principle of the method is as follows: monocytes are taken from a person's blood, transformed into dendritic cells, treated with antigens and cytokines, and then returned to the body. Now the DCs carry information about the tumor antigen and pass it on to T-cells, triggering an anti-tumor immune response.
Who is eligible for dendritic cell cancer treatment?
Currently, only one DCs-based drug is approved for standard cancer treatment. It is used in the advanced stages of prostate cancer. There are also dozens of drugs that have not yet been approved. DCs treatment for most cancers is available as part of clinical trials.
Some specialized oncology clinics in Germany are already using dendritic cell therapy for glioblastoma, sarcoma, melanoma, breast, kidney, lung and other cancers. DCs are mainly used:
- Stage 4 cancer
- After surgery, in addition to standard adjuvant treatment (to reduce the risk of recurrence)
DCs are used both independently (monotherapy) and in combination with other methods.
What happens during the treatment
For the patient, the treatment looks like two procedures: harvesting cells from peripheral blood (usually 100-200 ml are enough) and then administering DCs a few weeks later. This can be an intravenous infusion. The cells are also injected subcutaneously, intradermally, intramuscularly or into a lymph node.
The injections or infusions are repeated several times at intervals of 2 to 8 weeks while the treatment continues to work. Dendritic cell treatment is stopped if the cancer progresses.
The resulting cells can be stored frozen. The required amount is thawed when another dose is needed. When the drug runs out, it can be made again from the patient's blood.
Benefits of using DC to treat cancer
Dendritic cell therapy has a number of advantages:
- It is a systemic method, so it affects all tumors in the body
- It provides good results even at stage 4
- It can be combined with any other cancer treatment, including other immunotherapy options (most commonly with immune checkpoint inhibitors)
- It is easily tolerated even by debilitated patients
- It is suitable for treating many types of cancer
The treatment is non-traumatic and not time-consuming. It causes minimal side effects: usually these are flu-like reactions that subside in 1-3 days and do not require additional medical interventions.
If you want to undergo cancer diagnostics and treatment in Germany, use the Booking Health service. Here you can find current prices for various procedures, compare the cost of services in different clinics and choose a suitable option. Booking Health staff will help you choose a medical center that uses dendritic cells and other innovative methods of cancer treatment. They will book you on convenient dates, help you organize your trip, and provide support throughout your stay abroad.