Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) – conventional treatment and immunological approaches
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a usually slowly progressive disease of the lymphatic system in which dysfunctional B lymphocytes accumulate in the blood, bone marrow, lymph nodes, and organs.
The course of the disease can vary greatly—from long stable phases to progressions requiring treatment.
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Classic treatment strategies for CLL
Conventional CLL therapy depends on the stage of the disease, symptoms, genetic risk factors, and the patient's general condition.
Established procedures include:
Watch & Wait
In early or stable stages of the disease without relevant symptoms, immediate therapy is often not necessary.
Chemotherapy
Use of classic cytostatic drugs, usually in combination with other active substances.
Immunochemotherapy
Combination of chemotherapy and monoclonal antibodies (e.g., against CD20) to target leukemia cells more specifically.
Targeted therapies
Modern drugs such as BTK or BCL-2 inhibitors attack specific signaling pathways of leukemia cells and have significantly changed CLL treatment in recent years.
Stem cell transplantation
In selected high-risk cases, allogeneic stem cell transplantation may be considered.
Dendritic cell therapy – immunological approach to CLL
Dendritic cell therapy is one of the personalized immunological therapy concepts. The aim is to specifically support the body's own immune system in better recognizing pathologically altered cells.
Dendritic cells are extracted from the patient's blood, processed in the laboratory, and loaded with disease-specific antigens. They are then reintroduced into the body to stimulate a targeted immune response.
In CLL, this approach is currently not considered a standard therapy, but rather an adjunctive or experimental immunological strategy. It can be discussed in particular in the context of individual therapy concepts, clinical studies, or for immunological support.
Combination Therapies and individualized Approaches
In integrative oncology, there is increasing focus on how conventional therapies, targeted drugs, and immunological approaches can be effectively combined. The aim is to better tailor therapies to individual patients, take side effects into account, and avoid unnecessarily weakening the immune system.
The suitability of dendritic cell therapy or other immunological procedures always depends on the individual course of the disease, previous treatments, immune function, and the current therapeutic situation.
Important note
Dendritic cell therapy is not a substitute for established standard CLL therapy. Whether and in what form additional immunological concepts may be useful should always be determined on the basis of an individual medical assessment.
Dendritic cell therapy is a patient-specific immunological approach.
No promises of a cure are made.