Houston Methodist’s internationally recognized brain tumor team brings the expertise to deliver safe, effective immunotherapy for malignant tumors.
Immunotherapy empowers your body’s immune system to eliminate brain tumors, much like it defends you against viral or bacterial infections. Our specialists understand the intricacies of immunotherapy treatment. We will help you understand the benefits, potential risks and nuances of this next-generation treatment so you can make informed decisions about your care.
How Immunotherapies Work
Immunotherapy drugs train your immune system to defend the body against brain tumors while recognizing and sparing healthy cells. Current types of immunotherapies include:
- Monoclonal antibodies, which are engineered versions of immune system proteins that spare normal cells while neutralizing parts of cancer cells.
- Cytokines, which are proteins produced by immune system cells that communicate with other cells. Cytokines can help control tumor cell growth or boost the activity of other immunotherapies. When used as a booster, they are called immunomodulators.
- Interleukins, which are specific cytokines that act as chemical signals among white blood cells and boost immune responses. These may be used with other immunomodulators or to boost vaccine responses.
- Cancer vaccines are substances put into the body to start an immune response against certain types of cancer.
- Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor is being analyzed as an immunotherapy and currently is used to help replenish healthy immune cells eliminated by chemotherapy.
