Dendritic cell therapy - Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic carcinoma
Treatment options & modern immunotherapies
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive types of tumor. The disease is often detected late because early symptoms are often nonspecific. Modern diagnostics, interdisciplinary therapeutic approaches, and immunological strategies can help to make treatment more individualized and targeted.
Below, we present the classic therapies as well as dendritic cell therapy (DCT) as a complementary immunological approach.
Traditional treatment of pancreatic cancer
1. Surgery (Whipple procedure/left pancreatectomy)
If the tumor is detected early and has not metastasized, surgery is the most important treatment option.
The goal is to completely remove the tumor and surrounding tissue.
Only about 15–20% of all patients are operable at the time of diagnosis. Therefore, other forms of treatment are essential.
2. Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a central component of treatment, both adjuvant (after surgery) and palliative in metastatic cases.
Frequently used regimens are:
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FOLFIRINOX
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Gemcitabine + nab-paclitaxel
These therapies have a systemic effect and are intended to slow tumor growth and prolong life.
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3. Radiation therapy (radiochemotherapy)
In cases of locally advanced tumors, a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy may be useful to reduce tumor tissue and enable subsequent surgery or alleviate symptoms.
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4. Targeted therapies
Personalized drugs can be used for certain genetic changes:
PARP inhibitors for BRCA1/2 mutations
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Immune checkpoint inhibitors for rare MSI-high tumors
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Molecular diagnostics are therefore becoming increasingly important.
5. Supportive and complementary therapies
Important in pancreatic cancer are:
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Pain management
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Nutritional support
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Enzyme replacement for digestive disorders
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Immune-boosting measures for therapy-related weakness
Dendritic cell therapy – a modern immunological approach
Dendritic cell therapy (DZT) is a personalized immunotherapy that supports the body's own immune system in recognizing tumor cells and triggering an immune response.
How does dendritic cell therapy work?
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Blood sample taken from the patient
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Isolation of monocytes
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Differentiation into dendritic cells
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Loading with tumor antigens (e.g., tumor lysate)
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Maturation into highly active dendritic immune cells
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Return to the patient via intradermal injection
Dendritic cells present the tumor characteristics to the T cells, enabling targeted immunological activation.
DZT as a supplement to conventional therapy
Dendritic cell therapy is often used as a complementary treatment for pancreatic cancer to:
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strengthen immune function
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improve the recognition of tumor cells
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compensate for therapy-induced immunosuppression
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promote long-term tumor-directed immunity
Possible combinations:
• DZT + chemotherapy
Chemotherapy reduces tumor mass – DZT can supplement immunological targeting.
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• DZT + infusion-based immune system support
(e.g., glutathione, resveratrol, artesunate, selenium)
→ Stabilization of the immune system during stressful phases.
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• DZT + targeted therapies
In the case of existing mutations, the immune response can be additionally supported.
Goals of DZT in pancreatic cancer
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Activation of tumor-targeted T cells
Support of an individual immune response
Improvement of immune surveillance
Stabilization of disease progression (varies from person to person)
Supplement to guideline-based therapies
Die dendritische Zelltherapie ist ein patientenindividueller immunologischer Ansatz.
Es werden keine Heilversprechen gegeben.