Why Do Past Immunotherapies Fail In The Clinic?

Past immunotherapies have failed in the clinic for 2 main reasons: 

1. Stimulation of WRONG immune response

Cancer patients by definition are immunocompromised, therefore many immunotherapy strategies have focused on methods to stimulate or strengthen the immune system in order to eradicate cancer. This is a failed strategy because the immune system in fact does respond to cancer.  Most tumors are infiltrated with large numbers of immune cells.  Stimulating an immune response that has already failed to eradicate the tumor only enhances this WRONG immune response. Click here for more information.

2. Inability to overcome tumor immunoavoidance mechanisms

Attempts to educate the immune system to generate the CORRECT immune response through cancer vaccination fail because they are not able to overcome the tumor’s ability to avoid the specific immune response created.  Tumors have evolved very sophisticated methods to avoid the CORRECT immune response.  Many tumors can avoid the immune system in the same manner as a fetus is protected from the mother’s immune system in the womb. Read further for more information by clicking here.