Cancer is one of the world’s most deadly diseases, causing significant mortality and morbidity worldwide. The scientific quest for cancer cure has been ongoing for many years, and the treatment methods have continued to evolve over time.

One of the most promising breakthroughs in the field of cancer treatment is Immuno-Oncology (I-O). In this article, we will define I-O, explain how it works, its potential drawbacks, and future prospects.

What is Immuno-Oncology?

Immuno-oncology is a field of cancer medicine that makes use of the body’s natural systems to fight cancer. It is a type of therapy that enhances the body’s natural immune system’s ability to attack cancer cells.

Essentially, it involves using the body’s natural defense mechanisms to fight cancer cells.

How Immuno-Oncology Works

Immuno-oncology works by stimulating the body’s immune system to identify and attack cancer cells. The immune system ordinarily has the ability to recognize and eliminate foreign invaders, such as bacteria and viruses, in the body.

However, cancer cells are often able to evade detection by the immune system, or they can produce molecules that suppress the immune response.

Immuno-oncology treatments stimulate the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. The immune system can be stimulated in several ways, including through the use of drugs, vaccines, and antibodies.

Immuno-oncology can help the immune system to fight cancer by altering the way cancer cells are perceived by the immune system, blocking the suppressor molecules secreted by cancer cells, and enabling immune cells to destroy cancer cells.

Types of Immuno-Oncology

There are two main types of immuno-oncology:.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors: Immune checkpoint inhibitors are drugs that release a brake-like mechanism in the body’s immune system, allowing it to attack cancer cells. This mechanism was discovered after researchers noticed that cancer cells could produce proteins that act as a stop signal to the immune system, allowing them to evade detection by the immune system. The checkpoint inhibitors block these proteins, allowing the immune system to recognize and attack the cancer cells. Some examples of immune checkpoint inhibitors are PD-1 inhibitors, PD-L1 inhibitors, and CTLA-4 inhibitors.
Adoptive cell therapy: Adoptive cell therapy involves the extraction of immune cells from the patient and their modification to better target cancer cells. T-cells are commonly used for this therapy, and they can be modified in several ways to enhance their ability to identify and destroy cancer cells. The cells are then reintroduced to the body to fight cancer. Adoptive cell therapy is still in the developmental stage, and several clinical trials are being conducted to test the safety and efficacy of the therapy.

Drawbacks of Immuno-Oncology

Like every other cancer therapy, immuno-oncology has its drawbacks. Some of the side effects of this therapy include:.

Autoimmune reactions: Immune checkpoint inhibitors can over-stimulate the immune system, leading to an autoimmune reaction that attacks healthy cells in the body.
Cytokine release syndrome: Adoptive cell therapy can result in the release of large amounts of cytokines, leading to severe inflammation in the body.
Response rate: Though I-O therapy has shown remarkable results in some patients, not all patients respond to the therapy.
Financial challenges: I-O therapy can be expensive compared to traditional chemotherapy and radiation therapy, making it difficult for some patients to access the treatment.

Potential of Immuno-Oncology

Immuno-oncology offers a lot of potentials in the fight against cancer. Some of its potential benefits include:.

Increased survival rate: I-O therapy has shown remarkable results in some cancer patients, and it has been shown to increase survival rates in some cases of lung cancer, melanoma, and bladder cancer. Clinical trials are ongoing to study the effectiveness of this therapy in other types of cancer.
Reduced toxicity: Traditional cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation therapy have numerous side effects that can be debilitating. Immuno-oncology can reduce the toxicity levels of cancer treatments.
Greater specificity: Immuno-oncology targets cancer cells specifically, reducing the risk of damage to healthy cells in the body.
Long-term cure: Immuno-oncology has the potential to provide long-term cure for cancer patients as opposed to other treatments, which sometimes offer only short-term solutions.

Conclusion

Immuno-oncology has emerged as one of the most promising breakthroughs in the field of cancer therapy. While it offers significant potential in the fight against cancer, it also has its drawbacks.

Despite the challenges, the future of cancer therapy likely lies in the enhanced understanding of the mechanisms behind the immune system, and Immuno-Oncology is at the forefront of this endeavor.