Immunotherapy
Each year, more than 200,000 people in the United States receive the chilling diagnosis of a primary or metastatic brain tumor. The sheer number of these cases makes central nervous system tumors one of the most common in cancer.
Immunotherapy for brain tumors
Cancer immunotherapy has emerged as a highly effective approach for the treatment of several types of advanced cancers. Brain cancer, however, remains challenging because the blood-brain barrier blocks many immune cells, and brain tumors create a highly immunosuppressive environment.
Dr. Mitchell鈥檚 team at UF and his collaborators have developed several approaches to the immunologic treatment of pediatric and adult malignant brain tumors.
What is immunotherapy?
According to the American Society of Clinical Oncology, immunotherapy, also called biologic therapy, is a type of cancer treatment designed to boost the body鈥檚 natural defenses to fight the cancer. It uses substances either made by the body or in a laboratory to improve or restore immune system function. Immunotherapy may work in the following ways:
- Stopping or slowing the growth of cancer cells
- Stopping cancer from spreading to other parts of the body
- Helping the immune system destroy cancer cells
There are several types of immunotherapies, including:
- Monoclonal antibodies
- Oncolytic virus therapy
- T-cell therapy
- Cancer vaccines
- Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
- Non-specific immunotherapies
T-cell therapy
For this type of immunotherapy, T cells are removed from a patient鈥檚 blood. Then, the cells are modified in a laboratory, so they have specific proteins called receptors, which allow those T cells to recognize the cancer cells. The modified T cells are grown in large numbers in the laboratory and returned to the patient鈥檚 body. Once there, they seek out and destroy cancer cells. This type of therapy is called chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy.
Researchers are still studying this and other ways of modifying T cells to treat cancer. Currently, these treatments are only available in clinical trials.
Cancer vaccines
A cancer vaccine helps the body fight disease by training the immune system. It works by exposing the immune system to an antigen, which signals the body to recognize and destroy that protein or similar substances. An antigen is a cancer vaccine that helps the body fight cancer by teaching the immune system what to look for. It does this by showing the immune system a harmless piece of the cancer, called an antigen, so it learns to recognize and attack cancer cells that have that same marker.
Side effects
Like any cancer treatment, immunotherapy comes with side effects. Because it activates the immune system to fight cancer cells, it can sometimes also affect healthy cells and tissues. Common side effects include:
However, the specific symptoms a patient experiences can vary based on factors such as their overall health before treatment, the type and stage of cancer, and the intensity of the cancer immunotherapy dose.
Immunotherapy vs. chemotherapy
Immunotherapy, while it was once unconventional, has become a standard option for many cancer treatments. The effectiveness of either treatment is dependent on a variety of factors, such as the type of cancer and how advanced it is, as well as the individual鈥檚 condition. Immunotherapy primarily targets cancer cells while generally sparing healthy ones, making it more precise than chemotherapy. However, while chemotherapy damages both cancerous and healthy cells, it often works more quickly, whereas immunotherapy may take longer but can provide lasting effects.
Questions To Ask When Starting Immunotherapy. Call (352) 273-6990 for a medical evaluation.
References
National Cancer Institute. Immunotherapy to treat cancer. . Updated September 24, 2019. Accessed March 25, 2025.