answers
What is immunotherapy - ✅✅Sub type of biological therapy (uses substances made from living
organisms - naturally or in lab)
Some forms also considered type of antibiotic therapy (mABs) (targeted therapy)
How does immunotherapy work? - ✅✅Leverages your immune system to fight cancer. It either
stimulates or suppresses your immune system to fight cancer, infections, or other diseases.
Specifically in cancer, it attacks specific cancer cells, reduces or eliminates side effects caused by cancer
treatments (chemotherapy), and it works to inhibit tumor cell growth by working with immune cells
against tumor cells
Describe how the T cell tolerance "drives" an immune response - ✅✅1) put key in ignition - signal one
= TCR antigen MHC (binding of T cell receptor)
2) step on gas pedal - signal 2 = CD28 (activates T cell stimulation)
3) step on brake - blockade of signal 2 (CTLA4 —> B7, PD-1 —> L1) ( inhibits T cell)
Key steps for an effective anti tumor T cell response - ✅✅1 -release of cancer cell antigens (cancer
cell death)
2 - cancer antigen presentation on dendritic cells
3 - priming and activation
4 - trafficking of T cells into tumors
5 - infiltration of T cells into tumors
6 - recognition of cancer cells by T cells
7 - killing of cancer cells
What are the different types of immunotherapy - ✅✅1 - mABs (monoclonal antibodies and
checkpoint immune inhibitors)
A) naked monoclonal antibodies
B) conjugated mABs (radiolabeled, chemolabeled)
, C) Bispecific
2 - Adoptive cell transfer
3 - Cytokines
4 - Vaccines
5 - Oncolytic Viruses
6 - Other immunotherapeutic approaches (BCG)
What are mABs (monoclonal antibody) - ✅✅They are a type of protein made in lab that binds to only
1 substance. Some are checkpoint immune inhibitors, while others are not. They cause an immune
response that destroys cancer cells. They can "mark" or "tag" cancer cells so the immune system has an
easier time finding and destroying them. They can be used alone to carry drugs, toxins, or radioactive
substances directly to cancer cells (targeted therapy)
How to mABs work in cancer? - ✅✅They suppress the activity of a specific protein in the cancer cell
to kill the cell OR prevent it from growing.
How do the mABs that are immune checkpoint inhibitors work in cancer? - ✅✅They work via CTLA - 4
(cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated) and PD-1 (programmed cell death protein). The receptors expressed
on CTLA 4 and PD -1 interact with ligands (receptors) on the antigen presenting cells of the tumor and
normally allow the cancer cell to evade T cell mediated death (THIS IS BAD). So, the immune checkpoint
inhibitors prevent the receptors adn ligands from binding to each other which disrupts the signaling and
they have been improved survival outcomes for adults with tumors and are approved to treat several
diseases (melanoma). Approved immune checkpoint inhibitors include antiCTLA 4 agen, anti PD1 agent,
and anti PDL 1 agent
List the different types of mABs - ✅✅A) naked monoclonal antibodies
B) Conjugated antibodies
C) Bispecific antibodies
Describe naked monoclonal antibodies - ✅✅- Work alone, no drug or radioactive material attached.
- Most common type of mAB for cancer.
- Attach to antigens on cancer cells, where others bind to non cancerous cells or free floating proteins.