immunotherapy and vaccines raise new hopes

Immunotherapy has been a major advance in the fight against cancer for more than ten years. It is a targeted action, concentrated on tumor cells. Unlike chemotherapy, it spares healthy cells. Its principle: push the immune systemarea of ​​the patient to fight the tumors himself. The injected antibody will put the immune cells and cancer cells in contact that they will destroy. Immunotherapies are becoming more and more sophisticated today.

Several avenues explored

Since 2011, researchers have been constantly improving a therapy called ADC, which combines antibodies and drugs. “These are antibodies that have been modified on which we have grafted an chemotherapy drug”said Jean-Yves Blay, director of the Léon Bérard Center in Lyon and President of the Federation Unicancer. “The antibody, injected intravenously, will go specifically to the tumor cellsales and get the chemotherapy in there”he adds. Many avenues are being explored but significant progress is weak. Another track: therapeutic vaccines, a strategy pushed by the laboratory amAmerican Moderna.