New Individual Immunotherapy for Cancer in Germany

What is immunotherapy?

 

Immunotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that helps the body’s immune system fight cancer. The immune system, which includes white blood cells, organs, and tissues, naturally defends the body against infections and diseases, including cancer. However, cancer cells can sometimes evade the immune response.

Immunotherapy works by either boosting the immune system’s ability to detect and attack cancer cells or by modifying immune cells to target cancer more effectively. There are several types of immunotherapy, such as checkpoint inhibitors, CAR tcell therapy, and cancer vaccines, each designed to enhance the body’s defense mechanisms.

Unlike traditional treatments like chemotherapy, which directly kills cancer cells, immunotherapy works by empowering the body’s natural defense system. It’s becoming a key component in treating various cancers, often with fewer side effects than conventional therapies.

What types of immunotherapy for cancer are available in Germany?

 

Germany offers a wide range of cutting-edge immunotherapies for cancer, some of which are internationally recognized. Here’s an overview of the main types available:

1. Checkpoint Inhibitors: These drugs help the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells by blocking proteins that suppress immune responses, such as PD-1/PD-L1 or CTLA-4. Common examples include pembrolizumab (Keytruda) and nivolumab (Opdivo), widely used for cancers like melanoma, lung, and kidney cancer.

2. CAR T-Cell Therapy: In this personalized treatment, a patient’s T-cells are genetically modified to target cancer cells more effectively. It is primarily used for certain blood cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma. Approved CAR T-cell therapies include Kymriah and Yescarta.

3. Cancer Vaccines: These vaccines stimulate the immune system to attack cancer cells. The most common is the HPV vaccine, used to prevent cervical cancer, and the prostate cancer vaccine Sipuleucel-T.

4. Cytokine Therapy: Drugs like Interleukin-2 (IL-2) are used to boost the immune system’s activity against cancer, typically for advanced melanoma and renal cell carcinoma.

5. Monoclonal Antibodies: These lab-created antibodies attach to specific proteins on cancer cells, marking them for destruction by the immune system. Examples include rituximab and trastuzumab, used for blood cancers and breast cancer.

6. Oncolytic Virus Therapy: This newer approach uses genetically modified viruses to infect and kill cancer cells while stimulating the immune response. Talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC) is an example used for melanoma.

7.) Dendritic Cell Therapy: Dendritic cell therapy is an immunotherapy that uses a patient’s immune cells to fight cancer. Dendritic cells are a key part of the immune system, responsible for identifying and presenting cancer antigens to T-cells, which then target and destroy the cancer cells.

In this therapy, dendritic cells are collected from the patient, cultured, and “trained” in a lab to recognize specific cancer antigens and then reintroduced into the patient’s body. Once inside, they boost the immune response against cancer cells. Dendritic cell therapy is helping the body fight the disease more effectively. A cancer research institute normally runs clinical trials for new for immunotherapies.

These therapies are available at specialized oncology centers across Germany, offering innovative treatment options for various types of cancer.

Which are the side effects in immunotherapy?

 

Not every type of immunotherapy for cancer shows the same side effects!

Yes, immunotherapy can cause side effects, although they are generally different from those of traditional cancer treatments like chemotherapy or radiation. The side effects occur because immunotherapy activates the immune system, which can sometimes attack healthy cells along with cancer cells.

Common side effects may include:

1. Fatigue: A common side effect that can range from mild to severe.

2. Skin Reactions: Rashes, itching, or redness, especially at the site of injection.

3. Flu-like Symptoms: Fever, chills, muscle aches, and headaches.

4. Digestive Issues: Nausea, diarrhea, or loss of appetite.

5. Inflammation: In some cases, immunotherapy can cause inflammation in organs, leading to conditions like colitis (in the intestines), pneumonitis (in the lungs), or hepatitis (in the liver).

6. Endocrine Issues: It can affect hormone-producing glands, leading to thyroid or adrenal problems.

While most side effects are manageable, serious reactions may require stopping treatment or receiving other medications to calm the immune response. Regular monitoring by doctors is essential.

Dendritic Cell Therapy or Dendritic Cell Vaccination

 

Dendritic cell therapy and dendritic cell vaccination are innovative forms of immunotherapy used in cancer treatment, leveraging the body’s immune system to target and destroy cancer cells. Dendritic cells play a crucial role in the immune response as they act as “messengers,” identifying and presenting foreign substances, such as cancer antigens, to T-cells, which then launch an attack on the cancer.

In dendritic cell therapy, dendritic cells are harvested from a patient’s blood, cultured, and “educated” in a lab to recognize cancer-specific antigens. Once prepared, these enhanced dendritic cells are reintroduced into the patient’s body, where they stimulate the immune system to detect and kill cancer cells. This therapy is personalized, as it involves creating a unique immune response tailored to the specific type of cancer in the patient.

Hence, dendritic cell vaccination is a similar approach but is often used preventatively or as a complement to other cancer treatments. The dendritic cells are loaded with tumor antigens and reinfused into the patient to “train” the immune system to recognize and attack any future cancer cells. This type of vaccination works like a traditional vaccine.

However, DCT has shown promising results in treating certain cancers, such as melanoma, prostate cancer, and glioblastoma (a type of brain cancer). The goal of dendritic cell therapy is to boost the immune system’s ability to fight cancer more effectively than it would on its own.

Hence, Dendritic cell therapies are still being researched but are available in select clinics, particularly in Germany. Read all about dendritic cell vaccination here: DTC in Germany

Therefore, dendritic cell therapy may show side effects of immunotherapy for cancer, such as flu-like symptoms.

Oncolytic viruses and combinatorial immunotherapy for cancer in Germany

 

Immunogenic Cell Death (ICD) is a form of cell death that activates the immune system, triggering an immune response that can target not just the dying cell but also other cells with similar characteristics, like tumor cells. This form of cell death is distinct from non-immunogenic or tolerogenic forms, which do not stimulate the immune system and may even promote immune tolerance.

Immunogenic Cell Death is highly relevant in the context of cancer immunotherapy. When cancer cells undergo immunogenic death, they not only die but also recruit the immune system to attack the remaining tumor cells.

One of the therapies of ICD: Oncolytic viruses are engineered to selectively infect and kill cancer cells. The viral infection can trigger immunogenetic cell death, further enhancing the anti-tumor immune response.

Therefore, the individual multimodal cancer immunotherapy concept developed in Germany. The scientific rationale for employing three main components is explained:

1. oncolytic Newcastle disease virus,

2. modulated electrohyperthermia

3. individual tumor antigen and oncolytic virus-modified dendritic cell vaccine.

The strategy involves repeated cancer-immunity cycles evoked in cancer patients by systemic oncolytic virus exposure plus hyperthermia pretreatment to induce immunogenic cell death followed by intradermal vaccination.

 

In summary, immunogenic cell death (ICD) represents a unique form of programmed cell death that plays a critical role in cancer immunotherapy by not only killing cancer cells but also converting the immune system into an active participant in tumor destruction.

How to find the best Clinic for Immunotherapy for Cancer in Germany

 

In Germany, there are different options available to get treated with immunotherapy for cancer. However, Surgical Experts guide you according to your medical indication to the right clinic and professionals in Germany.

Therefore, we need your latest medical reports, either in German or English, together with your blood tests. Afterward, we can evaluate the best clinic in Germany that can offer the best immunotherapy for cancer program to you. It doesn’t matter if you already had chemotherapy. The immunotherapy for cancer programs in Germany offer several options to you.

We also have to check if you are a candidate for any of the immunotherapies in Germany. The evaluation takes between 2-3 days.

However, be prepared to answer our medical history form. We need as much information from you as possible at the beginning. Once you have decided to come, our medical concierge service will cover all aspects of the organization, hotel search, transportation, etc.