Comment
Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
Resistance to a specific allergen. The goal is to make you less vulnerable to minor exposure to a particular food or ingredient.There are several different types of drugs used in immunotherapy. Certain cancer drugs may be administered once or several times over one or two years. Autoimmune drugs may require long-term use.Among the main types of immunotherapy drugs are:Immune checkpoint inhibitorsCheckpoints are the parts of your immune system that keep it from overreacting and harming healthy cells. But checkpoints can sometimes be too effective and can weaken the immune system response. Immune checkpoint inhibitors work by interfering with checkpoint activity, allowing the immune system to go after cancer cells.Adoptive cell therapy (T-cell therapy)This treatment involves the removal of T-lymphocytes, which are key cancer-fighting cells. The lymphocytes are then genetically enhanced in a laboratory and injected back into the body to more effectively fight cancer.CAR T-cell therapyThis treatment also involves the removal of T-lymphocytes, which are then altered to make chimeric antigen receptors (CARs). These receptors enable lymphocytes to bind to cancer cells with a CAR target on their surface. CAR T-cell therapy is also being used for certain autoimmune disorders so that the enhanced lymphocytes can detect and destroy the immune cells attacking healthy tissue. Monoclonal antibodiesMonoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made antibodies that act like your body’s natural antibodies. They are engineered for specific purposes. Cancer-fighting monoclonal antibodies go after cancer cells. For autoimmune diseases, monoclonal antibodies can interfere with inflammatory proteins, such as those that cause joint pain in rheumatoid arthritis.Immunotherapy for allergies involves either allergy shots or sublingual (under the tongue) medications. In both cases, the immune system is activated by giving you a small amount of an allergen that should be enough to prevent symptoms or reduce their intensity.There are many reasons your doctor might think immunotherapy is a good choice for you:Immunotherapy may work when other treatments don’t. Some cancers (such as certain skin cancers) may not respond well to radiation or chemotherapy but often start to go away after immunotherapy.It can help other cancer treatments work better. Other therapies you have, such as chemotherapy, may work better when combined with immunotherapy.Your cancer may be less likely to return. When you have immunotherapy, your immune system learns to go after cancer cells if they ever come back. This is called immunological memory, and it could help you stay cancer-free for a longer time.Immunotherapy is not for everyone and isn't yet an option for all types of cancer. However, the list of cancers that may be treated with immunotherapy is growing.The factors that determine who is a candidate for cancer immunotherapy include:Genetic profile of the tumorCancer stage (how far it has spread)Your response to previous cancer treatmentsResearchers are still learning what types of autoimmune diseases can be treated safely and effectively with immunotherapy. It appears that having RA, MS, or type 1 diabetes may qualify you for immunotherapy. People with life-threatening autoimmune disorders or who have been treated with high levels of immunosuppressant drugs may not be good
Add Comment