Sometimes the best way to fight disease is to unleash the patient’s own defenses. Immunotherapy is treatment that enhances, suppresses, or redirects the immune system to control disease, most prominently cancer and allergy.
Checkpoint inhibitors release brakes on T-cells so they attack tumors. CAR-T cells are engineered to recognize specific cancer antigens. Allergy immunotherapy gradually desensitizes patients to allergens. Cytokines, vaccines, and monoclonal antibodies form additional tools.
Responses can be dramatic and durable, yet immune-related side effects may affect any organ and require prompt management. Patient selection and biomarker testing improve the odds of benefit. Immunotherapy has reshaped oncology and continues to expand into other fields.
- Treatment that modulates the immune system against disease
- Includes checkpoint inhibitors, cellular therapies, and desensitization
- Can produce durable responses and unique toxicities
- Increasingly guided by biomarkers
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