Dendritic cell (DC)

Dendritic cell (DC) therapy, also called dendritic cell vaccine. Dendritic cell (DC) therapy, also called dendritic cell vaccine. This is a newly emerging and potent form of immunotherapy used to treat cancer conditions. In the case of cancer, dendritic cell therapy is an immunotherapy that harnesses the body's own immune system to fight cancer. The dendritic cell itself is an immune cell whose role is the recognition, processing, and presentation of foreign antigens to the T-cells in the effector arm of the immune system. Although dendritic cells are potent cells, they are not usually present in adequate quantity to allow for a potent immune response. Dendritic cell therapy involves the harvesting of blood cells (such as monocytes or macrophages) from a patient and processing them in the laboratory to produce dendritic cells, which are then given back to a patient in order to allow massive dendritic participation in optimally activating the immune system.