Interactive Immunology Lecture
Search information on Immuno-therapies based on monoclonal antibody immune
blockade (CTLA-4 or PD-1).
1.How could Immuno-therapies help autoimmune diseases?
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Targeted treatment against autoimmune diseases where the immune system
attacks and destroys healthy body tissues
Through the use of antigen-specific immunotherapy, it is possible to target
cells that cause autoimmunity and to ultimately reverse their function
Aggressive cells can be converted into cell that are able to protect against
disease/ targeted bacteria / infectious agents
It also involves administering certain parts of the proteins into the body to
allow a host response to occur
The proteins are targets for attack and so increasing the dosage and
injections of these antigenic fragments the autoimmune response can correct
itself
2.What strategies might be successful at improving the immune response to
cancer?
3.How best should these agents be used?
4.Who will most likely benefit from these agents?
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It can boost body’s natural defence to fight cancer
Monoclonal antibodies target specific proteins on surface of cancer cells (cells
that support the growth of cancer cells)
Allows for the immune system to destroy cancer cells, the monoclonal
antibodies can mark cancer cells by attaching to specific parts of cancer cells
that are not found on healthy cells
It may prevent cancer cell growth, monoclonal antibodies can block receptors
and prevent growth signalling pathways from getting through the cell
Non-specific immunotherapy; help destroy cancer cells
Interferon’s can help fight cancer or glow growth of cancer cells (detection)
E.g. INF-alfa activated natural killer cells and dendritic cells, used in treatment
for melanoma and Kaposi sarcoma
Interleukins may be utilised as they produce cells that destroy cancer
E.g. IL-2 is responsible for the production of antibodies by B cells these can
target cancer cells
Aldesleukin has been a treatment used to fight metastic kidney & melanoma
there are a variety of treatments being used and even more continue to
undergo clinical trials and further research
A number of therapies are used to treat different cancer, depends on the
cancer and the cells that are being manipulated
5. How current research in drug development is affected by the development of
new Immunotherapy’s based on blocking immune signals with monoclonal Ab?
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Monoclonal antibodies are antibodies which have the ability to bind to
specific antigens expressed by cell, these are derived in a laboratory
environment under genetic engineering
Some of the monoclonal antibodies can excite an immune response to destroy
cancer cells, the antibodies attach to the cancer cell surface and trigger the
destruction via the immune system
Ritumixmab is this type of monoclonal antibody, it targets CD20 antigen that
is located on non-Hodgkin lymphoma cells
Another is alemtuzmab targets CD52 antigen located on chronic lymphocytic
leukaemia cells- on the B cell
Ipilimumab is used to treat metastic melanoma, this monoclonal antibody
stimulated an immune response against cancer by attaching to receptors on
the surface of immune cells and inhibiting signals to ensure immune cells do
not undergo a self-attack
USEFUL WEBSITES
http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/treatment/types/immunotherapy/bio-therapiesfact-sheet
https://www.fightaging.org/archives/2014/09/antigen-specific-immunotherapy-to-treatautoimmune-disease.php
http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/cancers-in-general/treatment/cancerdrugs/interferon