Dendritic cell therapy -
Kidney cancer (renal cell carcinoma / RCC)
Conventional treatments & modern immunotherapy
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Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is one of the most common urological tumors. It is often discovered by chance, as the disease causes few symptoms in its early stages.
Treatment depends on the size of the tumor, its location, metastasis, and the patient's general state of health.
In addition to established conventional medical therapies, immunological approaches such as dendritic cell therapy (DZT) are increasingly coming into focus as a complementary option for strengthening the immune system.
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Classic treatment options for renal cell carcinoma
1. Surgery (nephrectomy/partial resection)
Surgery is the most important and often curative form of treatment for localized kidney cancer.
Typical procedures:
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Radical nephrectomy (removal of the entire kidney)
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Partial kidney resection (tumor-preserving surgery, nephron-sparing)
Goal: complete tumor removal with maximum preservation of kidney function.
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2. Ablative procedures (for smaller tumors)
Minimally invasive procedures can be used for certain patient groups or small tumors:
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Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)
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Microwave ablation (MWA)
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Cryoablation
These methods destroy tumor tissue locally without major surgery.
3. Systemic therapies for metastatic renal cancer
Since renal carcinoma is largely resistant to conventional chemotherapy, other modern forms of therapy are used today.
a) Targeted therapies
These act on tumor growth, angiogenesis, and signaling pathways:
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Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs): e.g., sunitinib, pazopanib, cabozantinib, axitinib
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mTOR inhibitors: everolimus, temsirolimus
b) Immune checkpoint inhibitors
These have revolutionized the treatment of RCC:
Nivolumab
Pembrolizumab
Ipilimumab
Combinations of immunotherapy + TKI
They aim to remove the brakes on the immune system and allow T cells to work more actively against tumor cells.
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4. Combination therapies
Modern guidelines often recommend combinations of:
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Immunotherapy + TKI
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Dual immunotherapy (e.g., nivolumab + ipilimumab)
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Surgery + systemic therapy
Dendritic cell therapy – complementary immunological approach
Dendritic cell therapy (DZT) is a personalized immunotherapy designed to activate the immune system specifically against tumor cells.
Dendritic cells are the most important antigen-presenting cells in the immune system.
They determine whether T cells can trigger a targeted tumor response.
Dendritic cell therapy procedure
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Blood collection from the patient
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Isolation of monocytes
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Cultivation in a GMP laboratory
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Loading with tumor antigens (e.g., tumor lysate)
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Maturation into activated dendritic cells
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Return via intradermal injections
The goal is to activate tumor-targeted T cells.
DZT as a supplement to conventional cancer therapy
DZT is often used as a complementary treatment for renal carcinoma, especially in cases of metastasis or after stressful systemic therapies.
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Possible combinations:
• DZT + targeted therapies
TKIs reduce tumor mass – DZT can additionally activate the immune system.
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• DZT + immune checkpoint inhibitors
The approaches differ biologically and can complement each other (medical evaluation necessary).
• DZT + infusion-based immune system building
e.g., glutathione, resveratrol, artesunate, selenium
→ Aims to stabilize and support the immune system.
• DZT + ablative procedures
Additional tumor antigens are produced after local tumor destruction.
Goals of dendritic cell therapy in renal carcinoma
Activation of specific T cells
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Improvement of immune surveillance
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Supplementation of other therapies
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Support of the immune system during stressful phases of therapy
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Strengthening of the body's defense system
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Reactions are individual and depend on the tumor type and immune status.
Dendritic cell therapy is a patient-specific immunological approach.
No promises of a cure are made.