Adoptive cell therapies

Definition

Adoptive cell therapies are advanced immunotherapy techniques that involve the extraction, modification, and reinfusion of immune cells to target and eliminate cancerous cells. These therapies harness the body's own immune system, particularly T cells, enhancing their ability to recognize and attack tumor cells, which is especially relevant for treating virus-associated cancers where viral antigens can serve as targets.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Adoptive cell therapies are particularly effective in treating cancers caused by viruses, such as cervical cancer associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) or liver cancer linked to hepatitis B and C viruses.
2. The process typically involves isolating T cells from the patient's blood, expanding them in the laboratory, and potentially modifying them before reinfusion.
3. These therapies can be personalized, meaning that T cells can be tailored to specifically target the unique antigens present on a patient's tumor cells.
4. Clinical trials have shown promising results, with some patients experiencing complete remission after receiving adoptive cell therapies for virus-associated cancers.
5. Challenges remain, including managing adverse effects, ensuring long-lasting immunity, and overcoming tumor resistance mechanisms that may limit therapy effectiveness.

Review Questions

• How do adoptive cell therapies enhance the body's immune response against virus-associated cancers?
  • Adoptive cell therapies enhance the immune response by utilizing T cells that are specifically trained or modified to recognize and attack cancer cells harboring viral antigens. This is crucial for virus-associated cancers since these tumors often express unique proteins related to the virus. By increasing the number of active T cells that target these antigens, adoptive cell therapies boost the body's natural defenses against cancerous growths linked to viral infections.
• Discuss the potential advantages and limitations of using CAR-T cell therapy in the treatment of virus-associated cancers compared to traditional treatments.
  • CAR-T cell therapy offers significant advantages over traditional treatments like chemotherapy or radiation, including a targeted approach that minimizes damage to healthy tissues. It utilizes genetically engineered T cells designed to target specific cancer markers related to viral infections. However, limitations include the potential for severe side effects such as cytokine release syndrome, high costs, and challenges in producing sufficient numbers of effective CAR-T cells tailored for each patient.
• Evaluate how the integration of oncolytic viruses with adoptive cell therapies might improve treatment outcomes for patients with virus-associated cancers.
  • Integrating oncolytic viruses with adoptive cell therapies can enhance treatment outcomes by simultaneously targeting cancer cells and stimulating a broader immune response. Oncolytic viruses specifically infect and kill tumor cells while promoting inflammation that attracts immune cells to the tumor site. When combined with adoptive cell therapies, this dual approach may increase the effectiveness of T cell reinfusion by making more tumor antigens available for recognition and destruction by the engineered T cells, leading to improved patient responses and potential long-term remission.

Related terms

CAR-T Cell Therapy: A type of adoptive cell therapy where T cells are genetically engineered to express a Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) that enhances their ability to recognize and kill cancer cells.

Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TILs): T cells that have migrated into a tumor; these cells can be harvested and expanded in vitro before being reinfused into the patient to combat cancer.

Oncolytic Viruses: Viruses that selectively infect and kill cancer cells while stimulating an immune response; they can be combined with adoptive cell therapies for enhanced efficacy.