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Denvax |
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Background |
It is known that for cancer to occur, the immune system has failed. The normal immune system recognises and kills the mutating cancerous cells. When a cell transforms into a cancerous cell, the normal immune system contains a 'dendritic cell' which helps to recognise and eliminate the cancerous cell. However, this mechanism does not function when the immune system is not working.
The dendritic cell therapy (DENVAX) works to help correct the defect and guides the immune system to recognise and eliminate cancer cells. Dendritic cells (DC) are recognised as the initiators and modulators in possessing the ability to activate a powerful immune response in vivo. The role of DC is to act as sentinels of tumor cells and have the remarkable capability to capture and process antigens, bypassing secondary lymphoid organs and activating T-cells against target cancer antigen. 1 DC can activate 100 - 3000 T cells to fight cancer. |
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Customised Dentric Cell Therapy for Cancer Patients |
DENVAX is Dendritic cell-based cancer immunotherapy. It is customized treatment of solid cancers in various stages of disease. It is autologous, involves patient's own monocytes transformed into cancer-specific dendritic cells. Designed to be specific, it targets only the cancer cells without harming the healthy ones. DENVAX works best to prevent relapses and recurrences, the major cause of morbidity and mortality in cancer.
DENVAX is a safe and effective treatment. DENVAX therapy has been given to more than 300 patients (about 1500 doses were given from March 2005 till March 2008) of various cancers. Numerous cancers like Brain Cancer (GBM), Liver cancer (HCC), Gallbladder cancer, Pancreatic cancer, Oral cavity cancer, NSC Lung Cancer, Breast cancer, Stomach cancer, Ovarian cancer, Prostate cancer, Colon cancer, Urinary Baldder cancer, Neuroendocrine cancer, Osteosarcoma, Chondrosarcoma, NHL (CD20 positive/CD20 negative), and Multiple Myeloma have shown consistent response to DENVAX therapy.
The results range from improvement in quality of life; delay in disease progression to complete remission. |
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(L): Dendritic Cells
(R): CellNute™ is a transport medium developed by Institute of Cellular Therapies (ICT) to preserve and keep cells viable under desired conditions |
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Facts About Dendritic Cell Therapy |
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DENVAX Delays Disease Progression and Improves Survival |
| Dendritic cell (DC) therapy delays disease progression and improves patient survival. A number of our cancer patients in M1 (metastatic) disease are leading recurrence-free and quality life for many months to years. We have the experience of treating more than three hundred patients to-date. Dendritic cell therapy has the ability to preserve quality life even in advanced stages of cancer. |
DENVAX can be given in Combination with Other Modalities of Cancer Treatment |
| Dendritic cell therapy comes under the heading of Biological therapy of cancer, the fourth modality of cancer treatment, after surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. DENVAX can be given alone or in combination with the other modalities of cancer treatment. |
Negligible Adverse Effects or Toxicity as compared to chemotherapy |
| DC therapy is customized treatment. It is designed to be safe and has minimal side effects. Some patients experience fever for a day or two after DENVAX. As the components of DC vaccine are patient's own mononuclear cells manipulated into cancer-fighting dendritic cells, there is no graft versus host reaction, nor chances of acute or delayed type hypersensitivity reaction. |
Ease of Dendritic Cell Vaccine Manufacturing and Administration |
| To manufacture dendritic cell vaccine, DENVAX, patient's fresh blood is taken and transported to our lab in cell collection medium- CellNute only. The CD14 cells are isolated and further processed for 8 days to transform them into cancer-specific DCs. These are then re-infused into the same patient on the 8th day of drawing blood. |
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Some patients' profile are presented here, indicating efficacy of DC vaccines. |
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LIVER CANCER
An elderly lady diagnosed with HCC (hepatocellular carcinoma) in November 2006. Her performance status was low, and had complaints of generalized weakness, nausea and vomiting. Both the liver lobes had lesions. DC therapy was started for her and she gradually recovered, performance wise. Her appetite improved, nausea, vomiting subsided and has been mobile since then. CT scan taken after six months revealed cleared right lobe lesion and a reduction in size of left lobe lesion. She has gained weight. She is still continuing with this treatment |
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LUNG CANCER
A 68 yr old lady was diagnosed in Dec 2005 with left lobe Large cell cancer of the lung with pleural effusion from the same side. She had till then received a single dose of chemotherapy and had refused further doses. Pleural tapping was done and her TAA was identified and stored for DC vaccine preparation. She received 9 doses of DC therapy in a 9 month period. Her PFT improved as well as the performance status. CECT remained unremarkable. The pleural fluid was replaced by consolidation. The tumor has not progressed since then and there is no evidence of metastasis to any organ. The patient is surviving and is no more receiving DC vaccines. She is now on passive immunetherapy for the last 6 months. |
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BONE CANCER
A 28 yr old lady was treated for osteosarcoma of right tibia, in 2005. She received radiation and chemotherapy after the amputation of her right leg. Later, she developed metastasis in both lung fields and was again advised for chemotherapy in November 2006. Instead she opted for a combined treatment plan of chemotherapy and Dendritic cell therapy; she has received three cycles of chemotherapy and 7 DC vaccines till date. Her post treatment CT scan reveals normalcy of lung fields. She has been rehabilitated and is back to her normal routine with a near perfect performance status. |
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All patients had limited options or had exhausted the conventional modes of treatment were given dendritic cell therapy and as a result, improved both in terms of quality of life and extended survival. |
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