There are many threats that can cause significant harm to the human body. As vivid examples, various types of infections and even a cancerous tumor can be cited . And the important fact is that, along with the usual methods of treating such diseases, modern research centers and clinics begin to use dendritic cells. Their effect causes stunning changes in the affected body due to the artificial stimulation of immunity activity.
Dendritic cells
The fact of how successfully a person will be able to carry out his life depends largely on the state of his immune system. Without this protection, the body would be extremely vulnerable in the face of even minor diseases by modern standards. And immunity plays a particularly important role in the difficult task of confronting cancer cells. Moreover, such a struggle for body health is ongoing.
If you pay more attention to the protective mechanisms of the body, you can find that one of the important components of this system are antigen-presenting cells. They, in turn, are divided into three key groups: B-lymphocytes, macrophages and dendritic cells. And since the article is devoted to the latter, they will be the main focus.
If you translate the word dendron from Greek, it will mean nothing more than a tree. This term was used to refer to the type of cells under consideration for the reason that they have a characteristic branching structure.
Features
This type of cell should not be classified as a phagocytic element, but it is difficult to overestimate their role in the development of the immune response. Cells of this type can be mature or not. Moreover, the latter are often fixed in the skin.
Dendritic cells can be of bone marrow origin or not (myeloid and lymphoid).
Localization of the lymphoid species is the spleen, thymus, lymph nodes and blood. Their thymus mission is noteworthy because there they are responsible for negative selection. This process is understood as the removal of T-lymphocytes, which have the ability to respond with their own antigens.
As for myeloid cells, they are located in the interstitial tissues, mucous membranes and skin. Moreover, they can be described as mobile.
Cells of non-bone marrow origin, in turn, are localized in the follicles of lymphoid organs. They also represent B-lymphocyte antigen, and carry immune complexes on the surface.
Structure
Before paying attention to how treatment with dendritic cells is carried out, it is worth paying attention to their structure. They can be described as a heterogeneous group, which is divided into two types with different functions. Nevertheless, both varieties have a similar appearance.
This type of cell has the following visual features: they are rounded (in some cases oval) and quite large. Moreover, their shape is branched, uneven with process contours. They have a nucleus, and the cytoplasm inside them is filled with organelles. As for the surface, many receptors are concentrated on it.
There are a lot of such cells in the body and they are found in almost all tissues and organs.
Dendritic cells: functions
As mentioned above, the main task of this type of cell is to present the antigen. This term is used to refer to the process during which the destruction of a foreign element occurs first, and then the elimination (removal) of components that make the attacked particle foreign.
By the way: phagocytosis is used to neutralize dangerous elements. Once the potential threat has been eliminated, the captured antigens are transferred to other immunocompetent cells. Such transportation is needed to transmit information to all elements of the security system. In simple terms, dendritic cells transmit a message to the immune system that a danger has been fixed. As a result, the defense is brought into a state of alert, so to speak, and deliberately blocks the identified threat.
Concerning the issue of protection against infections, it is worth paying attention to such a variety of dendritic cells as plasmacytoid elements. The same cell germ is involved in their formation as in the case of lymphocytes. This type of cell blocks the progression of infection through the isolation of interferons.
Exposure process
It is worth noting the close connection that dendritic cells, immunology and cancer treatment have.
In this case, it is initially important to pay attention to the fact that such cells are easily reproduced in a modern laboratory. To achieve this result, you need to separate the monocytes from other elements of the blood. This stage also does not represent technical complexity. This is followed by exposure to cell culture through certain factors, and within a few days, stem cells or monocytes turn into dendritic elements, which were the original goal.
Now there are many clinics offering dendritic cells as a treatment tool. Immunology has stepped so far forward that a similar technique allows you to effectively deal with rather complex diseases, including cancer.
Moreover, after conducting certain studies, it was proved that the introduction of elements of the immune system can give a powerful positive effect in the treatment of patients who suffer from chronic infections, more than one year.
A bit about such a serious problem as a malignant tumor
In order to better understand exactly how the treatment of cancer with dendritic cells occurs, it makes sense to pay attention to the problem itself.
So, if you look at the human body more closely, you can find out a well-known fact: the body consists of cells, or rather, their entire system, where each component performs a specific function. Sometimes it happens that control over the growth, mobility and size of a certain group is lost. The consequence of this loss is the rapid and uncontrolled reproduction of such cells, which begin to actively penetrate into tissues located in close proximity.
The story of the defeat of the body by cancer cells does not end there: they enter the bloodstream or the lymphatic channel, after which they spread to other parts of the body, forming metastases and daughter tumors. It is also worth noting the fact that there are a lot of tumors themselves - more than a hundred species. And each of them is unique in its own way.
Based on the information that physicians have at the moment, it is safe to say that one of the key factors determining the fate of a tumor is the human immune system. This is why dendritic cells against cancer is an effective tumor control strategy.
What does the treatment look like
Special progenitor cells are isolated from the patient’s blood. They are necessary for the subsequent cultivation of dendritic elements. After that, all the necessary conditions are created so that the necessary qualities, without which it is impossible to further develop the material, are preserved.
Specialists wait for the phase during which maturation occurs, and add tumor structures obtained through genetic engineering to the cell culture. The use of so-called fragments of the tumor of the patient himself is not excluded. Next, a precursor cell captures a dangerous element, followed by a change in its structure.
The value of this process lies in the fact that dendritic cells begin to more accurately recognize a sign characteristic of a tumor. Moreover, this experience is also transmitted to the entire immune system.
The final stage is dendritic cells introduced into the patient’s body. Vaccines are one of the common methods for performing this task. After this procedure is completed, there is an active movement of cells into the lymph nodes and the subsequent activation of cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. These performers are in contact with the elements of the tumor, completely destroying them.
After the threat has been detected and recognized, its search begins throughout the bloodstream and body tissues. As soon as the target is found, the executing cell inflicts damage fatal to the hostile element and notifies the immune system of this fact through the production of special substances.
Here is such a difficult, but effective treatment cycle has become available thanks to research in the field of immunology.
Vaccines based on dendritic cells
There are several effective drugs that include the action of the principle described above. One example is the Steumax vaccine. Its main task is to stimulate a full-fledged response of the body's immune system to cancer cells, which include mucin-1 glycoprotein. This is a fairly common antigen.
In the second stage of testing, this drug showed decent results, although, of course, there are certain contraindications.
In order to have the desired effect on the protective systems of the body, the doctor must inject the vaccine into the subcutaneous tissue of the patient’s abdomen. Already 15 minutes after the completion of this procedure, the patient can go home.
But at the same time, it is important to constantly visit a doctor to undergo blood tests - this will provide a clear picture of the processes that occur in the immune system. If all is well, then the concentration of the cells-executing, destroying the tumor, should significantly increase. As soon as their level begins to drop, you need to re-vaccinate.
It should be noted that cancer is not the only problem that dendritic cells can solve. The role in the antimicrobial defense of this treatment system is also difficult to overestimate, since it can cause the activation of the immune system, which, in turn, leads to the complete destruction of the infection.
Possible side effects
Vaccination, in addition to a strong protective effect, can lead to some negative consequences. In fact, we are talking about the manifestations that accompany the general reaction of the body's immune system. During this process, those substances that are involved in inflammatory infectious diseases are released.
If we talk about specific symptoms, then it is worth mentioning weakness and fever. In some cases, redness of the skin at the place where the injection was made is possible. Sometimes you have to deal with an increase in lymph nodes.
Benefits of Dendritic Cell Treatment
If we consider such methods of combating a cancerous tumor as radio and chemotherapy, then one cannot help but notice the obvious - the body is undergoing severe stress at this time. But in the case of dendritic cells, all that is used for treatment is the person’s own defense system and its specific components. The difference in approaches is more than noticeable.
And although such a technique still has side effects, they are relatively rare, and the damage from them can not be called significant. Another significant advantage of such therapy is that all recovery processes can be performed on an outpatient basis, which means that the patient does not need to be constantly in the clinic.
Russian treatment centers
In the CIS, studies are aimed at creating vaccinations, which are based on dendritic cells. Novosibirsk is one of the cities where the corresponding centers are located. And if we consider this region, it is worth mentioning the SRI SB RAMS. It is at this institute that a vaccine is tested that can resist the tumor. In the treatment of colorectal cancer , good results have been obtained.
But this research institute is not the only place where studies are conducted in which dendritic cells are used. Treatment in St. Petersburg is also at a decent level and meets European standards. If we talk more specifically about the use of an individual vaccine, it makes sense to remember them. Polenova.
In general, in Russia this issue is receiving more and more attention. And such a forecast, of course, can be considered optimistic.
Summary
This kind of overcoming a cancerous tumor, such as the use of dendritic cells, can be called a fairly young technique. But this does not change the fact that its popularity in the scientific community is growing rapidly due to the high level of effectiveness.
Moreover, in Germany there are health insurance funds, as well as insurance companies that have already begun to cover the costs associated with such treatment.