[Regenerative medicine] NKT cell-targeted therapy ( α NKT therapy)
About NKT cells
NKT cell targeted therapy ( αNKT therapy) is a type of cancer immunotherapy that utilizes the function of one's own NKT cells (natural killer T cells).
NKT cells are the fourth type of lymphocyte after T cells, B cells, and NK cells. Their name comes from the fact that they have both the characteristics of "NK cells" and "T cells." NKT cells have a strong immune response enhancing effect, and they directly attack cancer cells, and also indirectly exert an anti-tumor effect by activating the immune system.
What is NKT cell targeted therapy ( αNKT therapy)?
In NKT cell targeted therapy, monocytes taken from the blood are first cultured and grown into dendritic cells. When these dendritic cells are loaded with α- GalCer ( α -galactosylceramide) and returned to the body, the NKT cells in the body are activated. This treatment is expected to enable the NKT cells themselves to directly recognize and attack cancer cells, and to enhance the function of both NK cells and killer T cells, acting directly and indirectly on cancer cells to exert an anti-tumor effect.
Blood collection
Immune cell isolation
Administration
Characteristics of NKT cell targeted therapy
● The activity of NKT cells is maintained for six months to a year after treatment, so it is expected that the cells responsible for attacking cancer (NK cells, killer T cells) will be activated over a long period of time, and the inhibitory effect on cancer progression, recurrence, and metastasis will be sustained for a longer period of time.
● NKT cell targeted therapy is a proven treatment that has become advanced medical care as an immune cell therapy that has shown effectiveness against non-small cell lung cancer and head and neck cancer.
● Since the patient's own lymphocytes are used, there are almost no side effects. It can be said that this treatment places less strain on the body.
● It can be used in combination with almost all cancer treatments (surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, palliative care, etc.).
Combination therapy with dendritic cell vaccine therapy
By combining NKT cell therapy with dendritic cell vaccine therapy , the effects of NKT cells and dendritic cells work synergistically, and a stronger cancer suppression effect is expected. We will propose the combination and timing of immunotherapy according to the patient's immune status.
Treatment Overview
This treatment is an elective medical treatment.
Flow of NKT cell targeted therapy ( αNKT therapy)
1. Harvesting of raw materials
To obtain the blood cells necessary for producing αNKT preparations, apheresis or whole blood is collected.
2. Preparation of αNKT Preparations
Monocytes collected by blood component or whole blood collection are stimulated with α- galactosylglycolipids and cytokines such as GM-CSF and IL-4 to produce α NKT preparations (GM-CSF, IL-4, cytokines, etc. are substances that are also present in the bodies of healthy individuals).
3. Administration of α- NKT Antigens
The α NKT formulation is then administered intravenously for a total of 11 to 14 times, approximately at intervals of 2 weeks to 2 months.
Treatment period and frequency
The treatment plan will vary depending on the patient's condition and symptoms, so we will decide after you have undergone an examination and tests.
Cost (private medical treatment)
Please note that treatment will vary depending on the patient's condition and symptoms, so we will inform you of the treatment plan after it has been decided.
Risks and Side Effects
Studies conducted at university research institutes and other institutions have reported that side effects of this therapy are mild and rarely observed apart from fever and redness at the injection site.
About efficacy
NKT cell targeted therapy has been approved by the Japanese government, and clinical research has been conducted at Chiba University since 2011. The treatment results for 17 cases of progressive recurrent non-small cell lung cancer showed that the median survival time was 18 months with only one course of treatment. Of these, the group with high production of a cytokine called IFN- γ (interferon gamma), which indicates the degree of activity of NKT cells, survived for 31 months. This was a surprising result for progressive recurrent non-small cell lung cancer, where the survival time is 4.5 months without treatment.
In addition, in eight cases of head and neck cancer, seven cases showed elevated IFN- γ , three cases showed partial but significant response (PR), and four cases showed stable disease (SD). In patients with mucosal malignant melanoma of the head and neck, a combination of particle beam therapy and NKT cell targeted therapy was shown to maintain a survival rate of about 90% even after two years.
Regenerative medicine can only be provided by licensed doctors at facilities whose notification to the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare has been accepted. Our hospital is a medical facility that has submitted a Type 3 regenerative medicine provision plan and obtained a plan number under the Regenerative Medicine Act (Act on Ensuring the Safety of Regenerative Medicine, etc.).