Britannica AI Icon

sipuleucel-T

medicine
Also known as: Provenge

Quick Summary

Sipuleucel-T is a type of immunotherapy used to treat prostate cancer. It works by activating a patient's own immune system to fight cancer cells. This is achieved by collecting dendritic cells from the patient, which are then cultured in a lab with a substance (prostatic acid phosphatase, or PAP) that is overproduced by prostate cancer cells. These activated dendritic cells are then infused back into the patient. The goal is to stimulate T cells to recognize and attack cancer cells that produce PAP, leading to a more effective immune response against the cancer.1

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.