Browsing: Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a form of medical treatment that enhances the body’s natural immune system to fight diseases, most notably cancer. It represents a significant shift from traditional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation, as it often leads to fewer side effects and can be more precisely targeted. There are several types of immunotherapies, including checkpoint inhibitors that help the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells, cancer vaccines that trigger the immune system to act against certain cancer-related antigens, and adoptive cell therapies where immune cells are taken from the patient, engineered to be more effective, and reintroduced into the body. This treatment is also being explored for its potential against autoimmune diseases, allergies, and infectious diseases like HIV. The success of immunotherapy has transformed oncology, offering hope for durable responses and even remissions in situations where other treatments have failed.