Therapies

Dendritic Cell Immunotherapy

Dendritic cells are a vital part of the body’s immune system. Their main job is to detect abnormal or foreign cells—such as cancer cells—and alert the rest of the immune system to destroy them.  Due to this unique role, dendritic cells can be used as a powerful form of cancer immunotherapy that uses your own cells to strengthen your immune system’s ability to recognize and fight cancer.

How Dendritic Cells Work

Tiny immune cells in our blood called monocytes are constantly on the alert for mutant cells.  When they detect one, they collect some DNA that can help other immune cells identify and kill them.  The monocytes then mature into dendritic cells and move to the Lymph nodes where they raise the alarm of the presence of a foreign or mutated cell (such as cancer) and pass on the specific genetic code.  This activates the immune system to create T-cells to recognize and destroy those cells.  Unfortunately, when an individual has cancer, this system has failed.  The monocytes that have identified mutant cells don’t mature and pass on the information.  The immune system is therefore limited in its ability to recognize and adequately fight the cancer. Some cancer cells can even inhibit the monocyte’s ability to mature into fully functioning dendritic cells, thus impairing their proper function.

Creating Dendritic Cell Immunotherapy

The process of creating dendritic cell immunotherapy begins in our Sanoviv immunotherapy lab where a blood sample is collected, and monocytes that have not matured are identified and separated from other blood cells.  These cells are then isolated, matured into dendritic cells, and grown under optimal conditions. Within about a week, the cells reach full maturity and undergo strict quality and safety testing before being reintroduced into the body where they can help T-cells better recognize cancer antigens—proteins found on cancer cells—and trigger a stronger anti-tumor immune response.  By boosting the number and activity of mature dendritic cells, this therapy enhances immune surveillance, helping the body become more resistant to cancer progression. Because tumors often hide from the immune system by disrupting normal dendritic cell function, adding healthy, fully active dendritic cells can help overcome this immune evasion. The treatment is generally well tolerated and has a more favorable safety profile than chemotherapy or many other conventional cancer therapies. Ongoing research is investigating additional applications of dendritic cell therapy which may be available in the future.

Research and clinical experience show that dendritic cell immunotherapy may:

• Slow or inhibit tumor growth
• Reduce the risk of metastasis (cancer spread)
• Strengthen the overall immune response

Cancer Treatment at Sanoviv

Dendritic cell therapy is only one of several patient-specific immunotherapy treatments that may be offered in a cancer treatment program at Sanoviv.  Each patient’s condition is carefully evaluated by our on-site oncologist to identify which immunotherapies will be most effective.  No single therapy is ever used alone, but rather it’s integrated into a broader, multi-modal treatment approach designed to support immune function, improve cancer recognition, and enhance the body’s natural ability to eliminate cancer cells.