Immunotherapy

Question 1

What risk comes with corticosteroids?

Answer 1

they suppress the whole immune system so there a risk of opportunistic infection

Question 2

What are Immunoglobulins?

Answer 2

They are antibodies

Can be given if you have a problem making antibodies

Question 3

What is the half life of immunoglobulins inserted into a patient?

Answer 3

2-3 weeks

Question 4

How can immunoglobulins be given to the patient?

Answer 4

IV or subcutaneously

Question 5

What is direct immunotherapy?

Answer 5

They deliver the toxin to directly kill the tumour

Question 6

What are examples of direct immunotherapy?

Answer 6

monoclonal antibody
chimeric antigen receptors
bi specific antibodies

Question 7

What is indirect immunotherapy?

Answer 7

you treat the immune system and render it able to seek out and kill cancer cells (you’re trying to boost the immune system)

Question 8

What are examples of indirect immunotherapies?

Answer 8

Dendritic cell vaccines
cytokine therapies
adoptive cell transfer
stimulatory antibodies
checkpoint inhibitor therapies

Question 9

What is a monoclonal antibody?

Answer 9

Its when you isolate a single antibody and produce loads of clones that are completely identical

Question 10

What is a hybridoma?

Answer 10

Used in monoclonal antibody production.

Antibody + myeloma (cancer) cell.

Question 11

Why are hybridomas used?

Answer 11

this combines the longevity of the myeloma cell with the ability to produce a specific antibody

Question 12

What is the 1st line treatment for non hidgkins lymphoma?

Answer 12

Ritixumab

Question 13

What can ritixumab be used to treat?

Answer 13

Non Hodgkins lymphoma
Rheumatoid arthritis
Systemic lupus erythematosus

Question 14

What is an advantage of rituximab?

Answer 14

They wipe out the B cell population but don’t seem to cause opportunistic infections

Question 15

How does infliximab work?

Answer 15

It blocks tumour necrosis factor (a pro inflammatory cytokine that stimulates immune reactions)

Question 16

What is infliximab used to treat?

Answer 16

Rheumatoid arthritis
Crohn’s
Ulcerative colitis
Ankylosing spondylitis

Question 17

How does Herceptin/trastuzumab work?

Answer 17

It binds to HER 2 on cancer cells and marks them out for destruction by the immune system.

15-20% of breast cancer is by HER2

Question 18

How does pertuzimab work?

Answer 18

Binds to a different part of HER 2 and blocks HER 3 from binding to HER 2, this disrupts signalling and prevents cancer cells from growing.

Question 19

Which 2 drugs are given as a combination therapy for cancer?

Answer 19

Trastuzumab and pertuzimab

Question 20

What is riskankizumab used for?

Answer 20

to treat plaque psoriasis

Question 21

What is a con of checkpoint inhibitors?

Answer 21

There is often growth of the tumour for a few weeks before the therapy starts to kick in

Question 22

What is CAR T cell therapy?

Answer 22

A T cell is modified to have an antigen binding domain

Question 23

What are dendritic cell vaccines?

Answer 23

You take the dendritic cell out of the body and grow lots then infuse it with tumour antigens then infuse back into the patient where it will induce an immune response against the cancer