Friday, December 24, 2010

Immunotherapy and cancer

When chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery are harsh treatment that can kill just cancer by hurting the body, then a new type of treatment option that strengthens the immune system of the body only to fight the cancer not seems too good to be true, but almost logical in the simplicity of the concept.

Although it is easier said than done, it is a concept which is being put into practice and some admirable success. Immunotherapy is a new method of treatment that uses natural substances in order to encourage the immune system of the body to fight the disease or laboratory makes the components of the immune system to fight unwanted disease. It is primarily used for patients with cancer, but also benefits from patients suffering from allergies, the Crohn's disease, multiple sclerosis and other diseases. But it's the world of cancer immunotherapy is to find the most success and hope.

According to the American Cancer Society, immunotherapy is always a small field which has not yet proved better than other types of cancer treatments. However, it is the researchers holds many promises and "many future progress against cancer probably comes from this area."

Immunotherapy, also called cell therapy, and biological therapy is similar to the vaccines against cancer, which is simply another form of immunotherapy. Cancer vaccines can be either therapeutic (data is diagnosed cancer) or prophylactic (given to develop cancer). Are currently made research on all types of vaccines. Initial success showing the potential of cancer vaccines is perceived in the Gardasil vaccine that can prevent cancer of the cervix caused by certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease infection. However, Gardasil is not a cancer vaccine truth because it is only a virus that can cause cervical cancer.

Immunotherapy is also similar to targeted drug seeking specific elements that indicate cancer cells to grow. Targeted therapy aims to stop targeted cancer cells to start growing signaling molecules and dividing uncontrolled. Some targeted therapy drugs immunotherapy overlap.

When cancer develops, the malignant cells grow and divide uncontrollably to form of tumour. This process occurs, in part, because the immune system fails to recognize a foreign element which it wants to attack and destroy cancer cells. Immunotherapy seeks to increase the capacity of the Organization to identify and destroy cancer cells and spread throughout the body. This identification of cancer cells as foreign is increased in immunotherapy enforcement officers recognize these antigens or molecules which are not normal cells of an organ, and occur in cancer cells. Therefore, when these cancerous cells give off the coast of certain molecules, he pointed out the immune system is alien and they must be destroyed.

Immunotherapy is a complex field involving not called drug or medication, but as modulators of the immune response (BIRMs) or immunomodulatory agents. These BIRMs include interferons, interleukins, colony-stimulating factors, monoclonal antibodies, vaccines against cancer, non-specific gene therapy and immunomodulating agents. White blood cells are an important part of the immune system of the body, many of these BIRMs are focused on the white blood cells in which there are several types. BIRMs also aim to help calls (APCs), antigen presenting cells operating system matching with white blood cells. APC is cells tell white blood cells: "Hey, this undesirable cell I am attached to foreign East." If you see more it, destroy. »

There are two main types of immunotherapy, active and passive agents. Active BIRMs aim to stimulate the elements of your body's immune system to fight disease. Passive BIRMs are components for artificial immune system administered in order to combat diseases without the immune system to help him.

BIRMs may also be classified on if they target a specific type of antibody (undesirable cell seeks to prevent the help in the process of cancer), called specific immunotherapy. Or, if the BRM facilitates the entire immune system, called nonspecific immunotherapy.

Currently, immunotherapy FDA approved is part of the procedure for treating several types of cancer which include:

AndProstate CancerCervical CancerColorectal CancerKidney CancerLeukemiaLymphomaLung CancerMelanoma (skin cancer) ovarian cancer of breast cancer.

MODULATORS of biological immune response, vaccines against cancer and other forms of immunotherapy are tested on other types of cancer, as well as improved on the above-mentioned types of cancer immunotherapy. These studies are moving through the process of clinical trial with hope feared by physicians and patients with cancer.


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