immunotherapy
A description of the immunotherapy known as conditional activism.
AbbVie (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
-
AbbVie (A Britannica Publishing Partner)A look at oncology treatments of glioblastoma.
-
Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.The Human Genome Project, which operated from 1990 to 2003, provided researchers with basic information about the genetic content of the human organism, opening new avenues of discovery in fields such as cancer research.
-
© World Science Festival (A Britannica Publishing Partner)Classifying and treating cancer by focusing on its genetic pathways in cells.
-
© University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia (A Britannica Publishing Partner)Learn how scientists use genomics to understand and treat melanoma.
Transcript
DIANE HOLLENBAUGH: So conditional activation is when we are turning on the immune system but only in the location of the tumor. Basically, using the tumor as the on switch to get that activation, to get that response, to get rid of the tumor. It's like a police dog that goes sniffing around, and it doesn't bark until it finds a suspect.
And that's what we're trying to do with these therapies. Where we don't get activation of the immune system everywhere, which might cause toxicities or problems for the patient, but only where the tumor is. And really directing that immune response right there against that tumor.
[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC]
And that's what we're trying to do with these therapies. Where we don't get activation of the immune system everywhere, which might cause toxicities or problems for the patient, but only where the tumor is. And really directing that immune response right there against that tumor.
[INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC]