Immune-Oncology (IO) is a type of immunotherapy which increases the ability of one’s immune system to fight cancer.
These therapies help the immune system:
-
Target cancer cells while avoiding the healthy cells.
-
Remember the cancer cells and activate killer immune cells (referred to as CD8 T cells) in case the cancer returns.
-
Assist in monitoring the growth of cancer cells by decreasing the cancerous cells ability to escape detection.
The bispecific/multispecific antibody class of drugs is an IO therapy which, simultaneously binds to cancer-specific protein and an immune cells specific protein. A prostate cancer-specific class of drugs have been developed that increases the interaction between prostate cancer cells and immune cells, e.g., T cells. These T cells play a crucial role in slowing or stopping the spread of cancer cells through a variety of immune functions. The harnessing of the T cell functions now serves as a weapon against prostate cancer cells - a new therapeutic strategy for prostate cancer patients.
