Cancer immunotherapy and anti-cancer therapies

When cancer occurs, some body cells begin to divide non-stop and spread into surrounding tissues, generating abnormal cell growth. These extra cells can divide without stopping and can form growths called tumors.
Cancer can start almost anywhere in the human body, which is made up of trillions of cells. Normally, human cells grow and divide to form new cells when the body needs them. In the normal process, when cells age or become damaged, they die and new cells take their place.
However, when cancer develops, this orderly process is disrupted. As cells become more abnormal, old or damaged cells survive when they should die, and new cells are formed when they are not needed.

What is cancer ?

Cancer is a disease in which some body cells grow uncontrollably and spread to other parts of the body. Cancer can start almost anywhere in the human body, which is made up of trillions of cells.         

Cancer develops when the body's normal control mechanism stops working. Old cells do not die and instead grow out of control, creating new, abnormal cells. These extra cells can form a mass of tissue, called a tumor. Some forms of cancer, such as leukemia, do not form tumors.

Tumor angiogenesis is the growth of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow. This process is caused by the release of chemicals from the tumor and host cells near the tumor.

Treatments

CAR T-CELLS

Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cell (CAR T-cell) therapy is a new approach to fighting cancer using the patients own immune system. The immune system cells, T-cells or T-lymphocytes are normally able to identify abnormal cells, like cancer cells and destroy them before they multiply and cause disease. 

In CAR T-cell therapy T-cells are removed from the patients blood and a new gene is inserted into the T-cell to make it easier for the T-cells to fight cancer. This new gene is designed to target a specific molecule that is present on the surface of a specific type of cancer cell. Once the genetically modified CAR T-cells are infused into the patient, the cells circulate in the body looking for their specific cancer cell for which they are engineered to target. When they find the intended target, the engineered immune cells bind to the cancer cell and kill it. 

MODIFYING NORMAL T-CELL INTO A CAR T-CELL

• The white blood cells including T-cells are separated out of the blood
• An inactive virus is used to insert special genes into the T-cell
• The new genes cause the T-cell to create new receptors called CAR
• The new receptors on the CAR T-cell are attracted to targets on the cancer cells
• These new modified T-cells now called CAR T-cells and are then expanded to millions to create a therapeutic dose

TYPES OF CANCER THAT CAN BE TREATED WITH CAR T-CELLS

As of 2021 the primary cancers being treated with CAR T-cell therapy are blood cancers. CAR T-cell therapies are FDA approved to treat some kinds of lymphomas and leukemias, as well as multiple myeloma. CAR T-cells are showing promise as the most effective immunotherapy for targeting specific cancers. CAR T-cells are living cells. 

Benefits of CAR T-cells :

• The new generations have little risk of dramatic side effects 2nd Generation Technology
• One Month Treatment Regiment
• Positive Response higher than other treatment options
• Long-term immune boosting effect
• No chemotherapy
• Patients own blood is used in the treatment

A reason why patients are pursuing CAR T-cell therapy is that cancer cells can disguise themselves so ordinary T-cells cannot identify them. Cancer cells create many antigens on their surface so the T-cells cannot "lock on". Cancer cells can turn off the immune systems response to them by secreting certain chemical signals. 

CAR T-cells can overcome immunosuppression better than normal T-cells. Engineered CAR T-cells are more resistant to immune suppression. CAR T-cells contain switchable receptors to circumvent immunosuppression. Regional injections to solid tumors can help to minimize immunosuppression.