Autologous Dendritic Cell Vaccine
Most vaccines are designed to work on everyone. However, there are ways to construct vaccines that can specifically target certain diseases in specific patients. These specialized white blood cells are Lymphocytes and Monocytes, and have tentacle-like elongations that entrap tumor cells. These Dendritic Cells then expose them to the immune system, which can successfully break them down. Since no two cases of cancer are exactly the same, every one of these cells is custom-made for a patient’s specific genetic configuration. The genetic information used in the Dendritic Cell to fight the tumor is found in the actual tumor itself. The process begins with a simple blood sample from the patient, and scientists analyze the Dendritic Cells already present. Using techniques of RNA amplification, these “supercharged” cells are then designed to specifically target cancerous tumors. These new cells can then be put into a vaccination tube and injected into a patient in order to track his or her cancer cells like targeted missiles.