health
What is immunotherapy and how does it treat cancer and other conditions?
From infections and allergies to brain diseases and autoimmune disorders, a wave of trials offers hope
TL;DR
- Immunotherapies harness the body's immune system to fight diseases, prevent illness, or manage conditions.
- The number of immunotherapy clinical trials has surged, indicating a growing focus on this field.
- In cancer treatment, immunotherapies like checkpoint inhibitors and engineered cell therapies help the immune system attack malignancies.
- Cancer vaccines, many using mRNA technology, are in trials to stimulate immune responses against tumors.
- For other conditions, immunotherapies aim to dampen overactive immune responses, as seen in allergy treatments and potential therapies for autoimmune diseases.
- Emerging research explores using immunotherapies, like regulatory T-cells (Tregs), for a wide range of conditions including multiple sclerosis, dementia, and inflammatory bowel disease.
- The immune system's adaptability makes it a versatile target for treating a broad spectrum of diseases, with about half of all deaths having an immunological component.