In our previous article, we explored the five healing pillars that form the foundation of ITC – Immunity Therapy Center’s approach to patient care. Now, we’ll take a closer look at each one, starting with Immune Therapies. This pillar brings together several treatments that ITC incorporates into its personalized care plans, making it a useful starting point for understanding how the Hospital and Medical Center approaches this area of treatment.
What Are Immune Therapies?
In modern medicine, immune dysfunction is recognized as a root driver of many chronic illnesses, including cancer, autoimmune disorders, and neurodegenerative diseases.
Immune therapies are treatments designed to influence the immune system, which helps the body recognize and respond to infections, abnormal cells and other threats. The objective is to stimulate specific responses from the immune system and help cells behave in a certain way or recognize specific targets. As such, these therapies aim to restore immune balance, retrain immune tolerance, and revitalize the body’s natural capacity to heal.
In cancer care, immunotherapy includes treatments such as dendritic cell therapy, transfer factor and different cell-based approaches that assist the body at fighting the disease. The idea is simple: if conventional cancer therapies weaken the immune system, immune therapies aim to empower it to fight back.
At ITC – Immunity Therapy Center, immune therapies form the first of the five pillars that serve as its foundation of its approach to patient care.
What Immune Therapies Does ITC – Immunity Therapy Center Offer?
ITC – Immunity Therapy Center offers ten treatments under its Immune Therapies pillar. Each patient is evaluated beforehand, to ensure they are offered the treatment that better suits their needs.
Autologous Stem Cell Therapy. Autologous Stem Cell Therapy involves taking healthy stem cells from your body. During the stem cell collection phase, the doctor inserts a needle into your arm and draws out your blood.
The stem cells are stimulated with Interleukin II and then reintroduced into your bloodstream, prepared to fight the cancer.
ITC Riv Viral Vector. Viral vector cancer therapy uses specially modified viruses to deliver helpful genes into cancer cells or immune cells. These genes are designed to help destroy tumors or activate the immune system to fight cancer.
ITC-MAF (Macrophage Activating Factor). A treatment designed to boost the immune system by activating macrophages, white blood cells that help identify and destroy harmful cells, bacteria, and other unwanted substances, including potentially cancerous cells.
Dendritic Cell Therapy. Dendritic cell therapy is a personalized treatment that uses a patient’s own immune cells to help the immune system recognize and fight cancer, or potentially help regulate an overactive immune response in certain autoimmune conditions.
Specific Transfer Factor. Immune-based treatment that uses small molecules from immune cells to help the immune system recognize what it needs to fight and respond more effectively. The goal is to help the immune system learn to recognize specific targets and mount a stronger immune response.
Regenerative Cell (Peptide IV). Treatment that delivers peptides (small chains of amino acids that help cells communicate) through an intravenous (IV) infusion. The goal is to support the body’s natural cell-repair processes, tissue recovery, and normal cellular functions.
LAK (Leukocyte Activated by Interleukin II). This treatment involves using interleukin-2. Interleukin-2 is produced by helper T-lymphocytes, a type of white blood cell involved in adaptive immunity. The goal is to stimulate the immune system’s natural abilities that may help shrink tumors. LAK therapy may also be combined with other existing treatments, including stem cell transplantation and monoclonal antibodies.
SKCA (Specific Killer Cell Antibodies). Specific Killer Cell Antibodies are a form of immunotherapy that works by stimulating the production of natural killer cells. Natural killer cells are a type of innate immune cell studied for their anti-tumor activity and regulatory role within the immune system. This therapy targets potential cancer cells by working with your body to produce more natural killer cells.
MCA (Mononuclear Cell Activation). This therapy is used to activate stem, dendritic, natural killer and mesenchymal cells for a strong and specific immune stimulation against cancer cells. This procedure requires venous access to perform it using a special apheresis machine, which then processes the cells for activation.
Intratumoral Immunotherapy. This therapy opens the doors to the successful treatment of a far broader spectrum of cancer patients. It is guided by a CT scan and consists of injecting sophisticated anti-cancer immuno-antibodies directly into tumor deposits. Injecting these antibodies directly into tumors, rather than intravenously, as they are conventionally given, has dramatically increased the response rate and reduced adverse side effects, while also requiring much smaller quantities of these cancer medications.
In particular, Dendritic Cell Therapy is highlighted as a science-based innovation that empowers the immune system to do what it was designed to do: detect and destroy threats.
How Does ITC – Immunity Therapy Center Incorporate Immune Therapies Into Patient Care?
As we have shared before, Immune Therapies at ITC – Immunity Therapy Center are just one component of a broader a personalized treatment approach. Being pillar #1 the focus is on influencing the body’s immune activity and support its natural defenses.
The process of being treated in ths medical center has three steps, a holistic approach that seeks to maintain the well-being of the patient.
- Evaluation: Reviewing the patient’s medical history, current condition and relevant testing.
- Personalized Treatment Plan: Selecting and combining therapies according to the patient’s individual circumstances.
- Ongoing Medical Care: Monitoring the patient and adjusting the plan as needed.
Immune therapies are one of five pillars/categories, alongside Alternative Therapies, Intravenous Therapies, Ozone & Oxygen Therapies, and Nutrition. As such, the specific combination depends on the plan developed for each patient.
Frequently Asked Questions About Immune Therapies at ITC
What Are Immune Therapies?
Immune therapies are treatments intended to interact with or influence the immune system. Their mechanisms and medical applications vary, and their effectiveness depends on the particular treatment and condition.
Which Immune Therapies Does ITC – Immunity Therapy Center Offer?
ITC lists ten therapies in this category, including Dendritic Cell Therapy, Specific Transfer Factor, IT-MAF, LAK and Intratumoral Immunotherapy. The center’s official website provides its full list.
Is Dendritic Cell Therapy an Established Cancer Treatment?
Certain dendritic cell-based treatments have been approved for some indications, such as sipuleucel-T for certain patients with advanced prostate cancer in the United States.
Key Resources
- Palucka K, Banchereau J. Dendritic-cell-based therapeutic cancer vaccines. Nat Rev Cancer. 2012;12(4):265–277. https://www.nature.com/articles/nrc3258
- Kantoff PW, et al. Sipuleucel-T immunotherapy for castration-resistant prostate cancer. N Engl J Med. 2010;363(5):411–422. https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1001294
- Finocchiaro G, Pellegatta S. Immunotherapy with dendritic cells loaded with glioblastoma stem cells: from preclinical to clinical studies. Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2016;65(1):101–109. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11029491/
- Liau LM, et al. Association of Autologous Tumor Lysate–Loaded Dendritic Cell Vaccination With Survival in Glioblastoma. JAMA Oncol. 2022;8(4):636–643. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2798847
- Sabado RL, Bhardwaj N. Dendritic cell immunotherapy. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2013;1284:31–45. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23651191/
