In developed countries, more and more effective methods of cancer treatment are appearing in clinical practice. In recent years, doctors have begun using dendritic cells. With their help, they can “teach” the immune system to recognize a malignant tumor and attack it. You are welcome to visit the Booking Health website if you want to undergo your diagnostics and dendritic cell therapy abroad. On our website, you can choose the best clinic that uses this method of cancer immunotherapy.
What are dendritic cells?
Dendritic cells are a type of leukocyte, which are immune cells. They are responsible for the presentation of tumor antigens and other foreign objects to other parts of the immune system. Dendritic cells “tell” T cells which tissues to attack. Without dendritic cells, T cells cannot perform their functions because they cannot recognize antigens.
Dendritic cell activity is always reduced in patients with oncological diseases. Their number decreases, and their function thus worsens. This is one of the mechanisms that allows the tumor to “hide” from the immune system. The principle of cancer treatment with dendritic cells is based on removing this “mask” and forcing the immune system to attack the tumor.
What is a dendritic cell-based vaccine?
Dendritic cell-based vaccines come in different types. Those that are already used in clinical practice are basically drugs made from the patient’s blood. Dendritic cells are obtained from the blood, activated with tumor antigens, and injected into the body. The dendritic cells transmit this “knowledge” to the T cells, which then attack the tumor.
As a result, dendritic cell-based vaccines cannot be purchased at a pharmacy. Dendritic cell treatment can only be provided at the hospital. Each vaccine is an individually created drug that will not work for another patient.
Fields of application of dendritic cells in oncology
Dendritic cell therapy is a new field in cancer immunotherapy. It is just over a decade old. Therefore, it is more about the future of oncology than the present. In most cancers, dendritic cells are used in clinical trials, and doctors are still looking for ways to improve their effectiveness.
The first approved dendritic cell-based vaccine for cancer immunotherapy was Sipuleucel-T. It is the patient’s dendritic cells that are activated by prostatic acid phosphatase. The vaccine is used to treat advanced prostate cancer when hormone therapy is no longer effective. It is often combined with chemotherapy. The use of dendritic cell-based vaccines, although these do not cure cancer, can increase the life expectancy of patients.
Other cancers for which dendritic cell-based vaccines have been developed but are still undergoing clinical trials include the following:
- Melanoma
- Lymphoma
- Breast cancer
- Liver metastases
- Stomach cancer
- Glioblastoma
- Osteosarcoma
- Mesothelioma
- Lung cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
You are welcome to visit the Booking Health website to find out the dendritic cell treatment cost and choose a medical care program at the best price. The company’s specialists will help you choose the most suitable clinics in Germany and arrange your trip. We will contact the hospital administration, make an appointment on your preferred dates, help you apply for a visa, translate your medical records into German, and book hotel and airline tickets. The specialists from the Booking Health company will meet you at the German airport and take you to the hospital by car, and after the treatment they will take care of your return transfer. During your treatment in Germany, you will be accompanied by an interpreter, and a personal coordinator will be constantly in touch with you.