The next step in cancer treatment Surgery, chemotherapy and radiation are among the most common methods of treating cancer, but immunotherapy is attracting an increasing amount of research attention, encouraged by recent technical breakthroughs. We take a closer look at two of the major areas of research, checkpoint inhibitors and CAR T-cell therapy, that could help boost the body’s defences against cancer
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he idea of immunotherapy dates back to the late 18th century, when Edward Jenner produced the first vaccine to prevent smallpox, and researchers continue to develop new methods of stimulating the immune system as a way of treating disease. By harnessing the power of the immune system and exploiting the specific properties of cancer cells, researchers hope to develop effective, long-lasting immunotherapies that combat tumours and protect against disease.
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The idea of immunotherapy may have a long history, but it is only relatively recently that technical breakthroughs have brought new cancer therapies closer to practical realisation. For example, the PD-1 protein (Programmed Cell Death 1), a molecule that plays a major role in regulating the immune system and in cancer immune evasion, was discovered in the early ‘90s, laying the foundations for the development of a new class of drugs, the PD-1 inhibitors.
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