immunoterapisi

Immunoterapisi, Turkish term for immunotherapy, is a medical approach that aims to treat diseases by enhancing or modulating the immune system. It is used primarily in oncology but is also explored for autoimmune diseases, infectious diseases, and transplant biology. The central idea is to empower the body's defenses to recognize and attack abnormal cells or pathogens, or to restore immune balance when it is insufficient or misdirected.

Immunoterapisi includes active strategies such as cancer vaccines and agents that stimulate immune activity, and passive strategies such as monoclonal antibodies, immune checkpoint inhibitors, cytokines, and adoptive cell therapies like CAR-T cells.

Mechanisms include improving tumor antigen presentation, removing inhibitory signals on immune cells, and delivering targeted immune effector functions. Safety concerns include immune-related adverse events affecting skin, gut, liver, endocrine organs, and risks like cytokine release syndrome. Treatments are often personalized and require careful monitoring.

Historical context: early work on monoclonal antibodies in the 1980s and 1990s; checkpoint inhibitors approved in the 2010s; CAR-T therapy gains approvals for some blood cancers. While responses can be dramatic, not all patients benefit, and access and cost are significant considerations. Ongoing research seeks biomarkers to predict response, combination strategies, and new targets.