Different Approach to Medicine!

This week I will be discussing T Cell and Dendritic Cell Therapy that can be used to treat cancer and its effects on the human body!

Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) T-cell Therapy has been used in treatment of cancer patients who have relapsed or are not responding to normal treatment such as radiation. How CAR T-cell Therapy works is the patient’s own T cells are extracted, genetically engineered to target tumor’s antigens, then are infused back into the patients body where they multiply, recognize, and kill cancerous cells. This can also provide an immunity, which causes these cells to constantly survey for reoccurrence of tumors and they attack and fight of the cancer. The main side affect of this treatment can lead to life threatening cytokine release syndrome (CRS). Estimates of this treatment can reach totals over $1 million dollars, which is the largest downside of this new treatment.

Dendritic Cells are being used in combination with Cytotoxic T Cells to treat breast cancer, specifically in women. The combination of the Dendritic Cells with the Cytotoxic T Cells targets and effectively kills the residual cancer cells that are the main cause for the reoccurrence of cancer. The side affects for this treatment are very mild and well tolerated by most patients. The worst case is some patients have had flu like symptoms, but were resolved without treatment. Including hospital service, at home care, and the series of Dendritic Cell vaccinations can cost up to around $40,000.

These are very new and exciting treatments, with further progress hopefully we will have a safe treatment for such a terrible disease as cancer that affects so many of our loved ones and hopefully cheaper.

Stay safe everyone as the numbers just keep increasing of the coronavirus! Much love!

Matty Ice out Peace!!