Dendritic Cell Therapy (DCT)
Dendritic Cell Therapy (DCT)
An innovative new way to cure cancer
Dendritic cell therapy (DCT) is the most natural immune cancer therapy. It activates the body’s own immune cells and helps the body to defeat cancer on its own.
In adjuvant therapy, i.e. in patients with a primary tumour that could be surgically removed without metastases, and also, in the prophylactic use of immunotherapy to prevent further metastases, the success rate is over 90 percent. A cure is possible here.
In this situation, the goal is to cure and prevent a relapse, a recurrence.
A single treatment cycle is sufficient here.
In the palliative care situation, i.e., when the tumour could not be removed and remains in the patient, when metastases have formed and other organs are affected, we have response rates of 60 to 65 percent according to WHO criteria, depending on the form of cancer.
The goal here is to stop the cancer from progressing and affecting other organs.
The cancer is then regarded as a kind of chronic disease, it does not go away, but it is under control and the life expectancy and quality of life are greatly increased.
Here we often need more than just one therapy cycle. Depending on the individual situation of the patient, another cycle may be repeated after 6 to 9 months
How it works
The main advantage of dendritic cell therapy, compared to other methods of cancer treatment, is its high effectiveness with little or no side effects.
Dendritic cell therapy is suitable for all types of cancer except for blood cancer (leukemia).
Dendritic cell therapy helps the body fight cancer itself.
- It reduces the tumour burden by up to 65%
- Is 4-6 times better at preventing the possibility of metastasis
- Forms an immunological memory and can thus prevent relapse and recurrence
- Increases the effectiveness of other treatments such as chemo, radio by 2 to 3 times
- Is safe and well tolerated
- Is easy to administer - the cells are injected under the skin
Results of the treatment can already be expected within 3 months. The full effect of dendritic cell therapy is seen after 6-9 months.
Dendritic Cell Therapy (DCT)
The immune system and the discovery of dentritic cells
The human immune system automatically recognizes and fights abnormal cells. However, the immune system has a hard time recognizing and fighting cancer cells. This is because cancer develops when normal, healthy cells are altered and begin to grow uncontrollably.
The reason:
Process
How does dendritic cell therapy work?
Dendritic cells are cells of the immune system that reside in all tissues of the body. They patrol the body to seek out foreign structures and abnormal cells such as tumour cells.
Dendritic cells play a key role in the fight against cancer. Thanks to modern cell culture technology, they can now be cultivated in the laboratory after a simple blood sample is taken.
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Step 1: Make dentritic cells
A subgroup of white blood cells, the monocytes, are isolated from the patient's blood. These can be differentiated into dendritic cells within 7 days in a complex procedure using various stimulating messenger substances and growth factors.
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Step 2: Loading the cells with information
The dendritic cells receive the necessary information about the cancer cells: They are brought into contact in the test tube with killed and specially processed patient-own tumour cell proteins. In this way, the dendritic cells are loaded with information that enables them to later recognize the cancer cells in the body.
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Step 3: Passing on information
The dendritic cells are injected into the patient's body and travel through the lymphatic system. There they pass on the information they received in the test tube to the lymphocytes - the killer cells. The lymphocytes are activated by contact with the dendritic cells and fight the degenerate cancer cells everywhere in the body.
Dendritic cell therapy
A safe treatment with almost no side effects
The dendritic cells processed in the laboratory are tested for absolute purity and injected into the patient only after thorough molecular biological analysis – in accordance with the requirements of the German Drug Law.
Only tumour cells and no healthy cells are attacked during this treatment, which is why only minor side effects occur.
For example, a slight fever, which can be quickly controlled with a paracetamol tablet.
Many studies prove the harmlessness of this type of immunotherapy.
The injection of the individually produced, activated dendritic cells into the patient’s body is completely harmless.
The reasons for this:
Highest purity and qualification in the laboratory
The production of a “cell preparation” with dendritic cells is subject to the German Drug Law for advanced therapies. It may only be carried out in an officially approved special laboratory of the highest quality class with extensive equipment. (Laboratory in accordance with the German Medicines Act and European GMP guidelines – Good Manufacturing Practice
Highly qualified employees are indispensable. They produce the cell preparation according to the strictest regulations and under the control of the renowned Paul Ehrlich Institute. The clean room laboratory must be absolutely germ-free, which is achieved through overpressure and personnel locks, where the cells grow at body temperature in special nutrient fluids.
The treatment process and costs
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The first appointment: The blood sample
200 ml of blood is taken from the patient. The blood then goes directly to the clean room laboratory where the experts start the process. Duration of the visit approx. 2 hours - discussion with the doctor, examination, blood collection - in addition, a high-dose vitamin C/D infusion is given which is included in the price. The laboratory needs 6 days to produce the appropriate preparation from the patient's cells.
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The second appointment: Injection of the dendritic cells
This is exactly one week after the blood sample was taken. Duration of stay. Approx. 2 hours: Administration of the injections under the skin. Observation of the patient and an additional cycle with high-dose vitamin C/D
What are the costs for the DCT?
The cost of a DCT is CHF 17’500
Our experts are the pioneers of the therapy and have more than 20 years of clinical experience.
They have treated more than 10,000 patients.