Which type of immunotherapy uses the patient’s own immune cells?

The type of immunotherapy that employs the patient's own immune cells is CART-cell therapy, also known as CAR T-cell therapy. This innovative treatment involves modifying a patient's T cells to better recognize and attack cancer cells. In CART-cell therapy, T cells are collected from the patient, genetically altered in the lab to express a chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) that targets specific markers on the cancer cells, and then infused back into the patient.

This process allows the patient's own immune system to be harnessed and enhanced for a more effective anti-tumor response. The ability to use the patient's immune cells is significant, as it tailors the treatment to the individual's unique cancer profile, potentially improving efficacy and reducing the risk of rejection that may occur with other treatments that use donor immune cells.

Monoclonal antibody therapy, while a form of immunotherapy, employs antibodies that are specifically designed to bind to cancer cells, but these are not derived from the patient's own immune cells. Chemotherapy, on the other hand, uses drugs to kill rapidly dividing cells, which include cancer cells but does not modify or utilize the immune system. Lastly, checkpoint inhibitors work by blocking proteins that suppress the immune response, thereby enhancing the body's existing immune response against cancer, but