Vaccinotherapy

Vaccinotherapy is a medical treatment that uses vaccines to treat diseases. Unlike preventative vaccination, which aims to prevent infection, vaccinotherapy utilizes vaccines to stimulate or modulate the immune system to fight an existing disease, such as cancer, autoimmune disorders, or infectious diseases that have already established themselves. This often involves customizing the vaccine to target specific antigens associated with the disease. The goal is to provoke a targeted immune response to destroy or control the harmful cells or pathogens causing the illness, offering a potentially curative or disease-modifying therapy.

Vaccinotherapy meaning with examples

• For certain cancers, vaccinotherapy involves creating personalized vaccines using the patient's own tumor cells. This prompts the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells, potentially eliminating the tumor and preventing recurrence. Ongoing research explores optimal vaccine design for different cancer types.
• In autoimmune diseases like lupus, vaccinotherapy might involve creating vaccines to suppress the immune response attacking healthy cells. These vaccines aim to 're-educate' the immune system to tolerate self-antigens and reduce inflammation, potentially offering long-term remission.
• Researchers are developing vaccinotherapy to treat chronic viral infections such as HIV. These vaccines stimulate cytotoxic T cells to target and kill virus-infected cells. This could lead to viral load reduction and improved patient outcomes.
• Novel vaccinotherapy approaches address Alzheimer's disease. The vaccines aim to clear amyloid plaques in the brain, hypothesized to be a core contributor to disease progression. Early trials are designed to assess the safety and efficacy.
• Vaccinotherapy is emerging as a powerful tool in treating allergies. Vaccines expose the immune system to allergens in controlled doses, gradually desensitizing the patient and reducing their allergic responses. This can lead to a substantial improvement in quality of life.