Biotherapy: Historical Perspective
Biotherapy: Historical Perspective
Biotherapy: Historical Perspective
May be defined as treatment with agents derived from biologic sources and/or affecting biologic responses. Many agents were derived from mamalian genome. The explosion of biotherapy research and technologic advances has lead to the use of numerous agents, both commercially and in clinical trials.
Historical Perspective
The immunotherapy of cancer can be divided into two approaches, active and passive. Active immunotherapy consists of giving a tumor-bearing host agents that are designed to elicit an immune response capable of retarding or eliminating tumor growth. Two types of active immunotherapy Active specific immunotherapy. Is an immunization with tumor cells or tumor cell extracts, such as proteins or gangliosides administered as tumor antigens, or vaccines. Passive immunotherapy. Is the administration or transfer of previously sensitized immunologic reagents such as antisera or immune reactive cells to at tumor bearing host Adoptive immunotherapy. Refers to the passive transfer of sensitized cells such as lymphocytes or macrophages
Reference: Oncology Nursing 5 edition by Langhorne, Fulton & Otto page 377
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Principles of Biotherapy
Biotherapy encompasses more than just the immune system. It includes treatments affecting other biologic responses such as growth and differentiation factors, chimeric molecules, and agents that may affect the ability of tumor cells to metastasize. Early trials failed to establish immunotherapy as a major modality as a result of the lack of the lack purity and definition of immunotherapeutic agents, the lack of analogy between animal-model and inadequate administration of immunotherapeutic agents.
Oproveklin. It stimulates the growth and development of megakaryocytes and platelets. It is also used to prevent severe chemotherapy-induced thrombocytopenia and to reduce the need for platelet transfusions following myelosuppressive chemotherapy in patients with nonmyeloid malignancies
Monoclonal Antibodies An antigen is a substance that the body recognizes as foreign and attacks with an immune response. The humoral immune response produces immunoglobulins against the invading antigen from B-cell derived plasma cells. These immunoglobulins reacts specifically with the antigenic determinants or epitopes of the reducing antigen recognized by the antibodies. Each antigen has many number of epitopes, depending on the complexity of its structure. Individual B-cells produce an antibody specific for single antigenic determinants; therefore, when an antigen invades the body, a variety of antibodies against it are produced. These cells are called monoclonal antibodies
Radioimmunotherapy It combines radioactive isotopes such as iodine 131 and yttrium 90 with a Monoclonal antibody. The radioisotope is carried to the tumor by the monoclonal that attaches to a specific antigen present on the tumor cells surface. Once at the tumor site, radiation is targeted to tumor with the surrounding normal cells receiving less radiation than if they were exposed to external beam radiation therapy. Cancer cells are destroyed by the combination of targeted radiation therapy, the biologic effects of monoclonal antibodies and the cross fire effect of the radiation on nearby tumor cells to which the antibody didnt bind. Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors Is a growth-promoting protein found on the surface of many different types of tumor cells, including lung, breast, and colon cancers. EGFR turosine kinase inhibitors are responsible for activating multiple downstream signalling pathways governing tumor growth.
Angiogenesis Inhibitors Angiogenesis is the process of blood vessel formation. Uncontrolled angiogenesis is pathologic and leads to the development and progression of malignant tumors. Angiogenesis inhibitors are a class of drugs that inhibit formation of blood vessels, thus cutting off the supply of nutrients and oxygen to malignant tumors, resulting in their death.