Immunotherapy with dendritic cells

The immune system almost always recognizes malignant cell growth. However, some proliferating cells are so altered that the immune system finds it difficult to classify them as malignant. In addition, tumors above a certain size produce messenger substances that weaken our immune system.

Cancer patients therefore often have a weakened immune system. Doctors then try to strengthen their immune system with drugs, vitamins and trace elements, or through complementary medicine treatments. 

Cancer occurs when a cell in the body escapes our body's strict control. The cell begins to multiply unchecked and produces derivatives that invade surrounding tissues.

If these degenerated cells spread through lymphatic and blood channels, metastases can form. Metastases are the "daughter tumors" of the degenerate cells.

There are about a hundred different types of cancer. They differ, for example, in terms of the average age at which they occur, the rate of growth, and the tendency to form metastases.

Immunotherapy with dendritic cells uses the power of our immune system. It consists of 3 steps:

1. "Grow" dendritic cells.

200 ml of blood is taken from the patient. In the laboratory, specialists isolate cells from this blood sample that can develop into dendritic cells. These "precursor cells" are given messenger substances and growth factors in a test tube. These ensure that the precursor cells develop into dendritic cells within 7 days.

2. Loading dendritic cells with information

The resulting dendritic cells receive information while they are still in the test tube and can later use them to recognize cancer cells in the body. This "information" consists of killed and specially treated cancer cells of the respective patient.

3. Fighting cancer in the body

The patients receive an injection of dendritic cells (loaded with information). The dendritic cells travel through the body's lymphatic system and pass the information to the killer cells (T lymphocytes). After contact with the dendritic cells, the killer cells become active and fight cancer cells throughout the body.

In addition, the dendritic cells activate the T-helper cells. The T-helper cells support the killer cells in fighting the cancer cells.

In the treatment using dendritic cells, specialists use the body's immune system to fight cancer by providing it with the necessary information.

Unlike other forms of therapy, such as chemotherapy or radiation, which use foreign substances or radiation to fight the tumor, dendritic cell therapy is a very natural and gentle method. It fights the tumor cells, but does not harm the rest of the body.

Dendritic cell therapy has only very harmless side effects, if any. They disappear quickly and hardly affect the patient.

The rare side effects are mostly due to the body's immune response. They resemble symptoms of an infection, in which inflammatory messengers are released: Slight fever, feeling dull or swelling of the lymph nodes. Occasionally, njection site becomes regd.

All these symptoms are harmless.

The number of studies on the therapeutic benefit of dendritic cells in tumor treatment is constantly growing. However, you should by no means abandon standard therapies. These forms of therapy have already proven their effectiveness in extensive studies.

It does not matter what type of cancer you have. Dendritic cell therapy can be used for all types of cancer. The only exception is blood cancer (leukemia).

The treatment is most successful when there are only small amounts of tumor cells in the body. This is the case, for example, shortly after surgery to remove the tumor.

The immune system of patients who have only a few tumor cells in the body functions much better than in people suffering from a large tumor burden.

Just like other cancer therapies, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy: the earlier you start the therapy, the more successful it is.

We distinguish 2 cases:

Case 1: Patients with a primary tumor that could be surgically removed and that has not yet metastasized:

In this case, the goal of the therapy is to 1. cure and 2. prevent recurrence of the cancer. The success rate are over 90 percent. A single treatment cycle is sufficient.

Case 2: Patients whose tumor could not be removed, where metastases have formed and other organs are affected:

The goal of the therapy is to stop the progression and infestation of other organs. Depending on the type of cancer, the response rate is 60 to 65 percent according to WHO criteria.

Although the cancer does not disappear, it is under control and the life expectancy and quality of life are considerably increased.

In this case, more than one therapy cycle is often necessary. Depending on the individual situation, the cycle is repeated after 6 to 9 months.

Results can be expected within 3 months. The full effect of dendritic cell therapy is noticed after 6-9 months.

The treatment is performed in a private clinic in Germany. With the exception of some Baltic States, there is no approval for DZT in other European countries. The shipment of the cells - as it is offered in some cases - is not allowed, one of the reasons being that the effectiveness of the cells after transport cannot not guaranteed.

For patients, therapy with dendritic cells is very simple. Blood is drawn during a first appointment. In a second appointment, the cells are injected under the patient's skin.

However, the production of a "cell preparation" with dendritic cellsis complex. It may be carried out only in an officially approved, specialised high quality laboratory that has the necessary equipment.

Highly qualified employees are needed to produce the cell preparation according to strict regulations.