Transforming Cervical Cancer Treatment with AAIT™

The fight against cervical cancer has entered a new frontier with the advent of Adoptive Autologous Immunotherapy (AAIT™), promising a more personalized and targeted approach to cancer therapy. New types of immunotherapy such as AAIT™ are opening up options for patients with cancer. One example of where immunotherapy has entered conventional treatment is LN-145 which has received a therapy designation from the FDA for the treatment of recurrent, metastatic, or persistent cervical cancer after chemotherapy [1]. This designation underscores the need for additional treatment options for patients whose conditions are not responsive to chemotherapy alone [2].

AAIT™ leverages the power of your own immune system by isolating, expanding, and then reintroducing Natural Killer (NK) and dendritic cells to the body. These immune cells become a precision medicine in the body, tested for reactivity against the patient’s tumor during the expansion process. A complex, proprietary method allows for immune cells to be grown outside of the body in laboratory conditions, creating far more cells in a few weeks than could be created in the body. At the same time, these cells are ‘trained’ to fight your specific strain of cancer using fresh biopsies taken from the body. These cells are reactive against tumor cells, but spare healthy tissue. This approach has shown promising results as monotherapy and in combination with other forms of treatment such as anti-PD-1 immune checkpoint inhibitors and even chemotherapy and radiation [3].

AAIT™ and similar therapies mark a pivotal shift towards more effective personalized medicine. Continuing research increases the usefulness of genetic data collected from both the patient and the patient’s tumor [4]. The potential for AAIT™ to offer durable responses with improved quality of life during and after treatment is becoming increasingly apparent. The field of immunotherapy for cancer has come a long way from investigational treatments towards FDA-approved therapies like LN-145 [1]. AAIT™ continues to push the boundaries of cancer immunotherapy, working diligently through the years-long process to adoption by mainstream clinics and even government regulatory bodies. For those battling cervical cancer and other forms of difficult-to-treat cancer, AAIT™ hopes to provide an edge in gaining a durable and effective response. 

AAIT™ is part of a revolutionary approach in the fight against cervical cancer, presenting personalized options for cancer care and recruiting the patient’s own immune system to deliver a long-lasting response to treatment. The first step of the treatment process involves isolating NK and dendritic cells from a blood sample. A biopsy is also taken of the tumor for the next step, and metastatic cancer cells can be isolated from the blood sample as well. The immune cells are then isolated from the sample and grown in a laboratory setting over a period of several weeks. In this way, the cells can be multiplied much faster than they reproduce inside the body. Genetic data and antigens from the tumor biopsies are used to select for immune cells that are responsive to that unique strain of cancer while the new cells are expanding, so the end result is like a transplanted immune system capable of detecting and destroying cancer cells throughout the body.

By using your own cells as the foundation for this treatment, AAIT™ is personalized to your body and cancer genetics from the foundation up. Immunotherapy also avoids the side effects associated with chemotherapy and radiation, though AAIT™ can have a synergistic effect with those types of treatments to more aggressively treat your tumor. Adoptive immunotherapies have shown promising results in clinical trials [5]. The more this technology progresses, the better clinicians can utilize the genetic profiles of patients and their cancer strains to customize treatment for each patient.

Looking forward, as different forms of immunotherapy are integrated into the standard treatment regimen for cervical cancer, individualized care strategies will become more accepted and commonplace. Many agree that personalized medicine will play a larger role in the treatment of cervical cancer as the body of research relating to biomarkers and human genetic data continues to grow [6]. The ongoing development of this class of therapy holds the potential to radically transform cancer care and looks forward to a future where cancer treatment is simultaneously more effective and less toxic to the body.

AAIT™ is as versatile as it is powerful. There are advantages to choosing this type of therapy for cancer at both early and late stages of the disease. For patients with early-stage cervical cancer, AAIT™ offers the advantage of being less invasive and having far fewer side effects than chemical or radiological options while maintaining the cytotoxicity to rid the body of cancer cells [7]. For patients with more advanced, widespread, or resistant disease, AAIT™ provides a critical new avenue for treatment where conventional methods may have failed before or are no longer effective [8]. In clinical trials, a synergistic effect has been observed between adoptive immunotherapy and conventional treatments like chemotherapy and radiation [9]. The combination of treatments makes it harder for the cancer cells to adapt to the new environment inside of the body.

Immunotherapy, and specifically adoptive immunotherapy utilizing your own NK and dendritic cells, is opening new options for cancer patients across the board. By using the body’s own cells, many side effects associated with cancer treatment can be mitigated or avoided entirely, and the transplanted immune cells have been sensitized against your specific strain of cancer in a laboratory setting before being reintroduced to the body. This cytotoxic efficiency is useful at all stages of cancer, and the fact that AAIT™ can be combined with conventional treatments breathes new life into the treatment of advanced disease. We at Envita Medical Centers wish to be a beacon of hope for cervical cancer patients whether you are near the start or the end of your cancer journey.

1. National Cancer Institute. (2019, August 16). FDA grants Breakthrough therapy designation of new TIL therapy for Advanced Cervical Cancer. Center for Cancer Research. https://ccr.cancer.gov/news/article/fda-grants-breakthrough-therapy-designation-of-new-til-therapy-for-advanced-cervical-cancer
2. Gettinger, S., Kluger, H., Schoenfeld, A., Betof-Warner, A., He, K., Sukari, A., Doger de Speville Uribe, B., Lee, S., Haefliger, S., Goldberg, Z., Cacovean, A., Fiaz, R., Chen, G., Jagasia, M., Finckenstein, F. G., Fardis, M., & Jimeno, A. (2021). Abstract CT235: A Phase 2, multicenter study of autologous tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL, LN 144/LN-145/LN-145-S1) in patients with solid tumors. Cancer Research (Chicago, Ill.), 81(13_Supplement), CT235–CT235. https://doi.org/10.1158/1538-7445.AM2021-CT235
3. Wang, Zheng-Xu, et al. “Combination of Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy for Colon Cancer in China: A Meta-Analysis.” World Journal of Gastroenterology : WJG, vol. 20, no. 4, 2014, pp. 1095–106, https://doi.org/10.3748/wjg.v20.i4.1095.
4. Muller, E., Brault, B., Holmes, A., Legros, A., Jeannot, E., Campitelli, M., Rousselin, A., Goardon, N., Frébourg, T., Krieger, S., Crouet, H., Nicolas, A., Sastre, X., Vaur, D., & Castéra, L. (2015). Genetic profiles of cervical tumors by high‐throughput sequencing for personalized medical care. Cancer Medicine (Malden, MA), 4(10), 1484–1493. https://doi.org/10.1002/cam4.492
5. Zhou, X., Lian, H., Li, H., Fan, M., Xu, W., & Jin, Y. (2022). Nanotechnology in cervical cancer immunotherapy: Therapeutic vaccines and adoptive cell therapy. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 13, 1065793–1065793. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2022.1065793
6. Feldman, R., Gatalica, Z., Reddy, S. K., & Tewari, K. S. (2015). Paving the road to personalized medicine in cervical cancer: Theranostic biomarker evaluation in a 592-specimen library. Gynecologic Oncology, 137, 141–141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygyno.2015.01.351
7. Yahui Zhu, Jing Zhou, Lijing Zhu, Wenjing Hu, Baorui Liu & Li Xie (2022) Adoptive tumor infiltrating lymphocytes cell therapy for cervical cancer, Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 18:5, 2060019, DOI: 10.1080/21645515.2022.2060019
8. Zheng, Y., Yang, Y., Wu, S., Zhu, Y., Tang, X., & Liu, X. (2017). Combining MPDL3280A with adoptive cell immunotherapy exerts better antitumor effects against cervical cancer. Bioengineered, 8(4), 367–373. https://doi.org/10.1080/21655979.2016.1230573
9. Zhang, T., & Herlyn, D. (2009). Combination of active specific immunotherapy or adoptive antibody or lymphocyte immunotherapy with chemotherapy in the treatment of cancer. CANCER IMMUNOLOGY IMMUNOTHERAPY, 58(4), 475–492. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00262-008-0598-y

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.