BIOL3108 Lecture Notes - Lecture 27: Trastuzumab, Immune Checkpoint, Immunotherapy
Document Summary
Immunotherapy is the treatment which uses the immune system to fight cancer and other diseases. Goal is to enhance immune responses or remove barriers that prevent the immune system from fight the cancer. Not as widely used compared to surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy for the treatment of cancer. Used alone or in combination with existing treatments. Block the parts of cancer cells that are required for them to grow. Attach to cancer cells to help the immune system identify those cells. Antibodies can also be attached to drugs to deliver these treatment sto the cancer cells. Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2, or her2, is expressed on the surface of a cell and can initiate cellular proliferation. Her2 is displayed at 10-100 times above the normal levels in certain cancer cells, such as breast cancer cells. Her2-positive cells can be targeted, allowing the immune system to distinguish self and abnormal self .
