AAIT™ To Revolutionize Bladder Cancer Treatment

Autologous Adoptive Immunotherapy (AAIT™) is emerging as a groundbreaking approach in the treatment of bladder cancer, offering a personalized alternative to traditional therapies. Unlike conventional treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation, which often indiscriminately affect both healthy and cancerous tissues, AAIT™ harnesses the patient’s own immune system to target and destroy cancer cells.

This innovative therapy is currently available at our Envita Mexico location, providing a unique treatment option for patients seeking advanced cancer care outside of the United States. AAIT™ is not yet FDA-approved for use in the United States, but it has shown significant promise in clinical trials, demonstrating its potential efficacy in treating various forms of cancer, including bladder cancer [1].

AAIT™ is a form of immunotherapy involving the use of the patient’s own immune cells, which are extracted, enhanced, and reintroduced to combat the cancer more effectively. Similar to other non-FDA-approved treatments, such as the off-label use of medications, AAIT™ expands the range of treatment options available to patients, to meet their unique needs, especially in cases where conventional options fail [2].

As research and clinical trials continue to advance, the potential for AAIT™ to revolutionize cancer treatment becomes increasingly apparent, promising a future where personalized medicine plays a central role in patient care.  AAIT™ provides a more precise and potentially more effective treatment option by focusing on the unique characteristics of each patient’s cancer. It is a tailored treatment designed to improve results and minimize the side effects, commonly associated with traditional therapies.

AAIT™ leverages the power of the patient’s own immune cells to effectively target and eliminate bladder cancer cells throughout the body. The process begins with the extraction of immune cells, Natural Killer (NK) cells, and dendritic cells specifically, from the patient. These cells are then cultured and expanded in a laboratory setting to increase their numbers and enhance their cancer-fighting capabilities. This expansion process is critical, as it allows for a significant boost in the population of immune cells that are specifically trained to recognize and destroy bladder cancer cells [3].

One of the key advantages of AAIT™ in bladder cancer treatment is its ability to target cancer cells with high precision, minimizing damage to healthy tissues. This precision targeting is achieved by exposing the immune cells to antigens derived from the patient's tumor, effectively training them to recognize and attack cancer cells, while sparing normal cells. Studies have shown that NK cell-based adoptive immunotherapy can be particularly effective against chemoresistant bladder cancer stem-like cells, which are often difficult to treat with conventional therapies [4].

The efficacy of AAIT™ in treating both early and advanced stages of bladder cancer is supported by clinical studies that highlight its ability to delay tumor progression and enhance survival rates. AAIT™ can be used as an adjunct therapy to prevent recurrence after surgical interventions in early-stage bladder cancer. In advanced stages, where the disease has spread or become resistant to other treatments, AAIT™ provides a powerful alternative by boosting the body's natural immune response to target and eradicate cancer cells.

Research into the combination of adoptive immunotherapy with other treatments, such as checkpoint inhibitors and monoclonal antibodies, is ongoing and shows great promise in further enhancing the effectiveness of this approach [5]. By harnessing and enhancing the body's own defenses, AAIT™ represents a significant advancement in the fight against bladder cancer.

Choosing the right treatment for bladder cancer can be a daunting task, but AAIT™ offers several compelling advantages over conventional therapies. Precision medicine is leading the way for the future of cancer treatment, and AAIT™ makes that available to patients in the United States with cancer care that utilizes the power of your own immune system. A targeted approach to cancer treatment minimizes collateral damage to healthy tissues, potentially reducing the severe side effects commonly associated with conventional cancer treatments.

AAIT™ has the ability to adapt to the unique characteristics of each individual’s cancer, which makes it particularly advantageous for patients with bladder cancer. By using immune cells that are specifically trained to recognize and attack cancer cells, AAIT™ offers a personalized therapy that is tailored to the genetic and molecular profile of the patient’s tumor. This personalized approach not only enhances the efficacy of the treatment, but also improves the patient’s overall quality of life by reducing the treatment’s toxicity [6].

Furthermore, AAIT™ has shown promising results in clinical trials, particularly in treating chemoresistant and advanced stages of bladder cancer. Studies have demonstrated that NK cell-based immunotherapy can effectively target bladder cancer stem-like cells, which are often resistant to standard treatments [7].  The use of dendritic cells in AAIT™ helps to enhance the immune response, ensuring a robust and sustained attack on cancer cells [8]. AAIT™ represents a promising and effective alternative for patients seeking innovative treatment options that offer a higher degree of personalization and fewer side effects.

While AAIT™ is currently available at Envita Mexico and not yet FDA-approved for use in the United States, the compelling evidence from clinical trials and ongoing research supports its efficacy and potential benefits. Patients who have not found success with conventional therapies or who are looking for a more personalized treatment option should consider AAIT™ as a viable and advanced approach to managing bladder cancer.

1. LI, Q. J., Guru, K., Lugade, A., Brese, E., Odunsi, K., Veerapathran, A., Onimus, K., Wells, A., Chartier, C., Natarajan, A., Fardis, M., & Chatta, G. (2020). Abstract A05: Expansion of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) using Iovance’s Gen 2 process from advanced bladder cancer for adoptive immunotherapy. Clinical Cancer Research, 26(15_Supplement), A05–A05. https://doi.org/10.1158/1557-3265.BLADDER19-A05
2. Huffman, A. (2022). The Ethics of Using Off-Label Medications to Treat COVID-19. Annals of Emergency Medicine, 79(6), A13–A15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annemergmed.2022.04.007
3. Wang, X., Qiao, G., Jiang, N., Morse, M. A., Zhou, X., Wang, S., Wu, J., Song, Y., Zhao, Y., Zhou, L., Yuan, Y., Hobeika, A., Ren, J., & Lyerly, H. K. (2021). Serial assessment of circulating T lymphocyte phenotype and receptor repertoire during treatment of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer with adoptive T cell immunotherapy. American Journal of Cancer Research, 11(4), 1709–1718.
4. Ferreira-Teixeira, M., Paiva-Oliveira, D., Parada, B., Alves, V., Sousa, V., Chijioke, O., Münz, C., Reis, F., Rodrigues-Santos, P., & Gomes, C. (2016). Natural killer cell-based adoptive immunotherapy eradicates and drives differentiation of chemoresistant bladder cancer stem-like cells. BMC Medicine, 14(1), 163–163. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-016-0715-2
5. Foley, K. C., Nishimura, M. I., & Moore, T. V. (2018). Combination immunotherapies implementing adoptive T-cell transfer for advanced-stage melanoma. Melanoma Research, 28(3), 171–184. https://doi.org/10.1097/CMR.0000000000000436
6. Chhabra, N., & Kennedy, J. (2022). A Review of Cancer Immunotherapy Toxicity II: Adoptive Cellular Therapies, Kinase Inhibitors, Monoclonal Antibodies, and Oncolytic Viruses. Journal of Medical Toxicology, 18(1), 43–55. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13181-021-00835-6
7. Long, X., Xiong, W., Zeng, X., Qi, L., Cai, Y., Mo, M., Jiang, H., Zhu, B., Chen, Z., & Li, Y. (2019). Cancer-associated fibroblasts promote cisplatin resistance in bladder cancer cells by increasing IGF-1/ERβ/Bcl-2 signalling. Cell Death & Disease, 10(5), 375–375. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41419-019-1581-6
8. Maddineni, S., Silberstein, J. L., & Sunwoo, J. B. (2022). Emerging NK cell therapies for cancer and the promise of next generation engineering of iPSC-derived NK cells. Journal for Immunotherapy of Cancer, 10(5), e004693-. https://doi.org/10.1136/jitc-2022-004693

Disclaimer: The information on this website is for educational purposes only and not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider for medical advice and treatment options.