Immunotherapy, also known as biological therapy, is a type of treatment that strengthens the immune system by making the person’s body more capable of fighting viruses, bacteria and even cancer and autoimmune diseases.
In general, immunotherapy is initiated when other forms of treatment have not resulted in the treatment of the disease and, therefore, its use should always be evaluated with the doctor responsible for the treatment.
- In the case of cancer.
- Immunotherapy can be combined with chemotherapy in difficult treatments.
- Appearing to improve the chances of recovery of certain cancers.
- Such as melanoma.
- Lung cancer or kidney cancer.
Depending on the type of disease and its degree of development, immunotherapy can work in a number of ways, including:
Immunotherapy only stimulates the immune system, is not able to quickly treat symptoms of the disease, and therefore your doctor may combine other medications, such as anti-inflammatory drugs, corticosteroids or pain relievers, to reduce discomfort.
Four modes of application of immunotherapy are currently being studied:
1. Promote T cells
In this type of treatment, your doctor collects the T cells that attack the tumor or inflammation of the body, and then tests the sample in the lab to identify those that contribute the most to healing.
After the test, the genes in these cells are modified to make T cells even stronger, sending them back to the body to fight the disease more easily.
2. Checkpoint inhibitors
The body has a defense system that uses checkpoints to identify healthy cells and prevent the immune system from destroying them.However, cancer can also use this system to hide cancer cells from healthy cells, preventing the immune system from killing them.
In this type of immunotherapy, doctors use drugs at specific sites to inhibit this system in cancer cells, allowing the immune system to re-identify and eliminate them. This type of treatment was mainly performed in skin, lung, bladder, kidney and head cancers.
3. Monoclonal antibodies
These antibodies are created in the laboratory to make it easier to recognize and mark tumour cells, so that the immune system can eliminate them.
In addition, some of these antibodies can carry substances, such as chemotherapy or radioactive molecules, that inhibit tumor growth.Learn more about using monoclonal antibodies in cancer treatment.
4. Cancer vaccines
In the case of vaccines, the doctor collects certain tumor cells and then changes them in the laboratory to make them less aggressive; finally, these cells are injected back into the patient’s body, in the form of a vaccine, to stimulate the immune system. to fight cancer more effectively.
Immunotherapy is always a study therapy and is therefore a treatment that is indicated when:
In addition, immunotherapy is also indicated in cases where available treatments cause very intense or serious, life-threatening side effects.
The side effects of immunotherapy may vary depending on the type of therapy used, as well as the type of disease and the stage of its development; However, the most common side effects include excessive fatigue, persistent fever, headache, nausea, dizziness and muscle aches..
Immunotherapy is an option that can be suggested by the doctor who guides the treatment of each type of disease and, therefore, whenever necessary, it is performed by a specialist in the matter.
Thus, in the case of cancer, for example, immunotherapy can be performed in oncology institutes, but in the case of skin diseases it must already be performed by a dermatologist and in the case of respiratory allergy the most indicated doctor is the allergist.