Individual anti-tumor immunotherapy
Oncoimmunology is one of the fairy new and promising direction in the treatment of cancer. The N.N.Petrov NMRC of Oncology has successfully applied an innovative technique (method) – treatment with immunotherapy-based vaccines (vaccines therapy). For a decade and a half, this method of the treatment has been showing good results of treatment of such types of oncological diseases as skin melanoma, soft tissue sarcoma, bowel cancer, kidney cancer etc. The results are impressive: 1580 of medial cycles by 230 patients.
Our center develops oncoimmunology since 1998
Immunotherapy as a new approach in the treatment of oncological diseases was established in Saint- Petersburg in the N.N.Petrov NMRC of Oncology, where in 1998, the laboratory of oncoimmunology began to work. On the base of the laboratory it was able to establish, that immune cells of the patient can be “learnt” to identify the tumor process in the body.
Oncoimmunology overcomes cancer treatment difficulties
Many tumors are very difficult in treatment and thus they are able to absconded (masquerade) from immune cells, and sometimes also activate them. Thus the standard cancer treatment methods as surgery, chemotharepy, X-ray therapy, hormone therapy remain without the patient’s immune system support. In the laboratory of the oncoimmunology the method was found, which helps to “restart” a patient’s immunity, focused it on the specific tumor. Dendritic cells from the bone marrow (they are always present in the blood along with leukocytes, lymphocytes and other cells) are used for this method. The task of these cells is to provide the main protective cells of the body – T lymphocytes– protein molecules characteristic of a tumor (antigens).
Vaccine from dendritic cells
The process takes place in a special vessel, where the prepared blood previously taken from a patient is places, as well as the “fragments ” of a tumor isolated from his (patient) own body, or antigens of a similar tumor, which are in the bank of the N.N.Petrov NMRC of Oncology. Dendritic cells settle on the vessel walls and begin to activity absorb (phagocytose) tumor cells, forming the special “training signal” on their surface. T-lymphocytes are given an opportunity to “identify” the tumor and attack it.
Free treatment for children
The patent for oncoimmunology method of treatment “Immunotherapy with bone marrow dendritic cells of patients with solid tumors” is registered in the N.N.Petrov NMRC of Oncology in 2003. The vaccine based on the dendritic cells is patented in 2008. The Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation gave a permission to use this medicine technology in clinic activities in 2010. Today treatment with autogenous tumor vaccines is free for children; for adults, treatment is paid.
