Immunotherapy is the fourth cancer treatment method after surgery, anticancer drugs and radiotherapy. Immunosuppressive factors have been approved for insurance, and various studies on other immunotherapy are also under way.
In this case, NKT cells are considered to be the cells responsible for cancer immunotherapy. Professor Taniguchi of Chiba University School of Medicine found them in 1986. They are the fourth lymphocyte after T cells, B cells and NK cells.
In addition to innate and acquired immune functions, NKT cells also have the ability to activate immune cells, which makes them have a strong ability to kill cancer cells. However, there are only 0.0 1% NKT cells in the body, which has been difficult to culture in large quantities.
We interviewed Tomohisa Iinuma, assistant professor of otorhinolaryngology head and neck surgery at Chiba University Hospital, for details.
"Since 200 1, Chiba University Hospital has been conducting clinical research on treating lung cancer and head and neck cancer with NKT cells. In 200 1 year, Chiba University Hospital started clinical research on treating lung cancer and head and neck cancer with NKT cells, and wondered if there was any way to use more NKT cells. Last June, we started a doctor-led experiment to apply these cells to patients with recurrent head and neck cancer.
The production of iPS-NKT cells requires several steps, but it has the advantage of storability. Firstly, blood was taken from healthy adults, NKT cells were extracted and cultured, and then NKT cells were initialized and transformed into iPS cells. Then, these iPS cells proliferate and differentiate to produce iPS-NKT cells with NKT cell characteristics, which are then frozen and stored until they are used by every patient.
Clinical trials will be conducted in patients with recurrent head and neck cancer. Head and neck cancer refers to oral cancer, paranasal sinus cancer, thyroid cancer, pharyngeal cancer and oropharyngeal cancer. This trial tests the safety of iPS-NKT cells by directly administering them to patients to see if there are any adverse events.
In particular, a catheter is inserted at the bottom of the leg to reach the position close to cancer, and iPS-NKT cells are injected into the artery directly supplying cancer cells to attack them.
"Head and neck cancer is usually treated with anticancer drugs or radiotherapy, both of which require a long course of treatment. For laryngeal cancer and oral cancer, radiation may cause severe oral ulcers, making it difficult to eat. Head and neck cancer is particularly prone to recurrence, so we are studying iPS-NKT cell infusion therapy (a method of injecting cells directly into arteries) to increase the number of cancer treatment schemes and reduce complications "(Assistant Professor Iinuma).
The experiment led by investigators is still in progress. It is hoped that the safety and effectiveness of this therapy can be better determined and become the first similar therapy used in clinic.