Innovative Glioblastoma Immunotherapy Treatment
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- Benefits of immunotherapy for glioblastoma
- Monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of glioblastoma
- CAR T-cell therapy for glioblastoma (GBM)
- Vaccination for the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM)
- How immunotherapy for glioblastoma is performed
- Success Stories: How Immunotherapy Has Helped Glioblastoma Patients
- Choosing an immunotherapy scheme and treatment
- Frequently asked questions of our patients
One of the peculiarities of human immunity is the ability to distinguish healthy cells from malignant ones in order to attack and destroy the latter. In brain tumors, this is especially important because surgeons cannot remove a large amount of brain tissue, and radiation therapy and chemotherapy are often not effective enough. Immunotherapy treatment for glioblastoma increases patients' life expectancy and prolongs the relapse-free period after radical surgery in the early stages of cancer. In Germany, doctors actively use immunotherapy at different stages of glioblastoma (GBM) and achieve high success rates in the treatment of this type of cancer.
Benefits of immunotherapy for glioblastoma
In glioblastoma, standard therapies cannot ensure long-term survival. Unfortunately, the tumor recurs even after complete removal. But with immunotherapy, the results can be significantly improved. Its benefits in glioblastoma are as follows:
- Reduces the risk of cancer recurrence after surgical treatment
- Increases recurrence-free period
- Increases life expectancy
- Is well tolerated by patients
- No complications or side effects
The peculiarity of immunotherapy is the possibility to combine it with other methods of glioblastoma treatment. It is not toxic, so it can be used in addition to and simultaneously with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, alternating electric field therapy, and targeted therapy.
| Cancer stage | Response to standard treatment protocol | Response to standard treatment protocol + Immunotherapy |
| Stage 3 | 50% | 80% |
| Stage 4 | 20% | 60% |
Monoclonal antibodies in the treatment of glioblastoma
Targeted therapy with monoclonal antibodies is one of the options for bypassing the protection of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and introducing ready-made substances with high anticancer activity into the brain. Monoclonal antibodies are synthetic drugs that find unique for glioblastoma molecules in the body and destroy cells with such molecules. Other possible targets are receptors and membrane antigens, which are present in several tissues, but their number in glioblastoma cells is several hundred times higher.
When conducting brain cancer immunotherapy, the targets for monoclonal antibodies are:
- Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)
- Endothelial vascular growth factor (VEGF-A)
- Receptors for certain types of interleukins, such as IL-2R
A special type of monoclonal antibodies is immune checkpoint inhibitors. These drugs target specific proteins and thereby make the tumor visible to the immune system. After the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors, glioblastoma loses its ability to go undetected by the immune system. This group of drugs includes PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors.
Patients considering monoclonal antibody treatment should expect costs between 375,000 and 420,000 euros, with final pricing individualized based on program duration and selected therapeutic combinations.
CAR T-cell therapy for glioblastoma (GBM)
Adoptive cell therapy is another effective type of passive immunotherapy for aggressive brain tumors. CAR T-cell therapy is a high-tech treatment that involves changing the patient's immune cells at the genetic level. Doctors insert new receptors into immune killer cells, which allows killer cells to attach to glioblastoma and destroy it.
In the first stage of treatment, doctors perform leukapheresis; that is, they harvest leukocytes from the patient's blood. New DNA regions are introduced into the genetic code of leukocytes, due to which the unique CAR specific to glioblastoma will appear on their surface in the future. The ability to synthesize such receptors is preserved in the next generations of leukocytes, and this makes anticancer immunity very stable. The main limitation of the widespread use of CAR T-cell therapy is its high cost. A limited number of laboratories have a license to carry out such genetic manipulations, and the treatment itself is performed only in large university clinics.
In addition to CAR T-cell therapy, there are two more methods with a similar mechanism of action. This is the treatment with lymphokine-activated killers (LAK) and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL).
The cost of CAR T-cell therapy ranges from 450,000 to 550,000 euros. The final cost is calculated individually, depending on the duration of the program and combinations of therapies.
Vaccination for the treatment of glioblastoma (GBM)
Vaccination has proven to be one of the most effective forms of glioblastoma immunotherapy, showing remarkable results in tumor suppression and prevention of recurrence. As a form of active GBM immunotherapy, the administered drug stimulates the activation of a person's anti-cancer immunity. This approach is more beneficial in the long-term perspective since such immunity persists long and allows for:
- Preventing or fighting relapses
- Suppressing the growth of the primary tumor if it cannot be removed surgically
- Destroying invisible micrometastases
Two types of vaccines are used for brain cancer, and these are peptide vaccines and dendritic cell vaccines. Peptide vaccines are often combined with chemotherapy and radiation therapy since the complex treatment regimen gives the best results. Peptide vaccines include components that recognize specific proteins of tumor cells and mark them as targets for a person's anti-cancer immunity. Possible targets for peptide vaccines are the mutant IDH1 gene, which is present only in gliomas, or the mutant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR).
In German hospitals, dendritic cell vaccines are used more often. This type of vaccine is made for each patient individually, using his own immune cells. Glioblastoma has long been considered a non-immunogenic (that is, not susceptible to immunotherapy) tumor because the immune system could not recognize tumor antigens and present them to killer cells. Without the presentation of tumor antigens, killer cells are unable to mediate an anti-tumor response.
The dendritic cell vaccine contains a special type of human leukocytes (i.e., dendritic cells) that are isolated from the blood and processed in the laboratory. After cultivation in the laboratory, dendritic cells acquire the ability to recognize tumor cells in a particular person and successfully present them to immune killer cells. After the completion of the full vaccination course, this ability is maintained for several months.
The cost of dendritic cell vaccination ranges from 20,000 to 38,000 euros, with the final price depending on the combination with other medical interventions in the complex treatment program.
How immunotherapy for glioblastoma is performed
Therapy with monoclonal antibodies requires preliminary laboratory testing: doctors look for specific mutations that make the tumor sensitive to this type of treatment. Most drugs are administered intravenously once every 3-4 weeks.
CAR T-cell therapy is a one-off procedure. It requires hospitalization because patients first receive high-dose chemotherapy. The chemotherapy lowers leukocyte levels, allowing the injected modified CAR T-cells to multiply more actively and provide stable anti-cancer immunity more quickly. With CAR T-cell therapy, the patient visits the clinic twice: once to donate blood and once in three weeks for treatment.
Lymphokine-activated killers are injected intracerebrally, for local tumor control. This method is not yet included in glioblastoma treatment protocols, so therapeutic regimens may differ. The use of TILs is also not yet approved by any regulatory agency.
Dendritic cell vaccination follows a three-step protocol:
- The treatment begins with an initial one-day outpatient visit for clinical examination, laboratory tests, and blood sampling for vaccine manufacturing.
- While waiting for the vaccine preparation, patients may opt for a comprehensive week-long inpatient rehabilitation program. This optional phase includes various supportive treatments such as ergotherapy, oxygen infusions, and extensive infusion therapy with therapeutic agents including high-dose vitamins and specialized compounds.
- The final step occurs approximately one week later when patients return for the LANEX-DC vaccine administration in an outpatient setting. The entire procedure is minimally invasive and requires no recovery time.
The advantages of dendritic cell therapy in glioblastoma patients are demonstrated through both expert insights and patient experiences. Actually, the Nobel Committee acknowledged the monumental impact of dendritic cells on modern medicine by awarding the 2011 Nobel Prize in Medicine to their discoverer, American immunologist Ralph Steinman. Prof. Frank Gansauge, a Head physician in the Department of Oncology and Dendritic Cell Therapy in the LDG Laboratories Dr. Gansauge Berg, tells how this treatment can be effectively combined with traditional approaches like chemotherapy and radiotherapy, offering GBM patients improved outcomes.
Prof. Frank Gansauge's Revolutionary Approach: Combining Classical Treatments and Dendritic Cell Therapy
Success Stories: How Immunotherapy Has Helped Glioblastoma Patients
Daria Rogers' treatment of glioblastoma multiforme began in January 2024. Following successful tumor removal, she received dendritic cell therapy at LDG Laboratories in Germany. What makes her case particularly remarkable is the exceptional response to treatment – her follow-up MRI scans at both 3 and 9 months post-surgery showed no evidence of tumor recurrence, a highly unusual outcome for glioblastoma patients. Despite undergoing intensive radiotherapy and chemotherapy after immunotherapy, Daria maintained strong energy levels and experienced minimal side effects. Her medical team attributes this resilience to the early start of dendritic cell treatment. Additionally, her family noted an unexpected benefit – a rejuvenating effect that made her appear notably younger, despite the challenges of conventional cancer treatments.
A compelling example is Aaron Nahani's case, who sought dendritic cell therapy in Germany after his glioblastoma multiforme diagnosis. Following the treatment, his medical assessments revealed significant tumor shrinkage, with both low-grade and high-grade areas of the tumor showing remarkable reduction. Notably, despite undergoing an intensive course of 51 radiotherapy sessions alongside chemotherapy, Aaron maintained better neurological function than typically expected. His family attributes this positive outcome to dendritic cell therapy, noting that he experienced minimal speech difficulties and maintained normal eating and drinking abilities throughout his treatment. As his mother emphasizes, while dendritic cell therapy may not be a standalone cure, it appears to play a crucial role in preventing recurrence and maintaining overall well-being during conventional cancer treatments.
These stories highlight the potential of dendritic cell therapy as a valuable part of aggressive brain cancer treatment.
Patient Daria Rogers, Ireland: "Dendritic Cell Therapy Gave Me Hope After Glioblastoma Diagnosis"
Choosing an immunotherapy scheme and treatment
Immunotherapy for glioblastoma in Germany provides hope for patients with advanced brain tumors. By activating the immune system in a targeted manner, this innovative approach aims to manage symptoms, alleviate pain, and slow tumor growth. When combined with treatments like hyperthermia, it becomes even more effective in fighting cancer cells. The therapy involves the infusion of specially prepared immune cells, offering a multifaceted strategy to combat this aggressive form of brain cancer and potentially enhance patients’ quality of life.
When conducting immunotherapy for glioblastoma, it is crucial to choose the most effective method of treatment for a particular person and include it in the combined therapeutic regimen (for example, treatment with tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes can be performed only after surgery). You also need to make sure that the clinic has access to all types of drugs and treatments and does not just offer the most simple options. If you want to get the best treatment result, you can confidently choose a specialized German clinic.
Leading German medical institutions offering comprehensive immunotherapy programs include University Hospital Mannheim, University Hospital Ulm, and University Hospital Freiburg. However, the choice of hospital is always individualized and depends on specific factors of each clinical case, including the cancer stage, response to previous treatments, presence of concomitant pathologies, etc.
Booking Health, an international medical tourism operator with over 12 years of experience, offers international patients comprehensive support with three key advantages: professional consultation with detailed clinic selection based on the specific case, urgent access to treatment without long waiting lists, and the most favorable pricing options available in the German healthcare. The company's services include:
- Arranging distant preliminary consultations, direct communication with the future attending physician
- Informing about possible treatment options, preliminary elaboration of a medical program
- Exclusion of additional taxes for foreigners from the prices for medical services (saving up to 50%)
- Making an urgent appointment, immediate start of glioblastoma treatment
- Unbiased control of the treatment process by Booking Health doctors
- If necessary, organization of additional examinations, treatments, rehabilitation
- Assistance in purchasing medicines for the subsequent treatment in the native country
- Communication with the clinic, translation of medical reports and recommendations into the patient's language
- Control of bills from the clinic, return of unspent deposit funds
- High-level organizational services: booking accommodation, plane tickets, transfer
- Services of an interpreter and personal medical coordinator
If you want to undergo immunotherapy or complex treatment of glioblastoma in Germany, you can study the information about specialized clinics and average cost of treatment on the Booking Health website or seek help from a company’s medical advisor.
Frequently asked questions of our patients
Glioblastoma is an aggressive brain cancer. Immunotherapy in Germany involves using advanced treatments that stimulate the immune system to recognize and attack glioblastoma cells, potentially improving survival rates and quality of life.
Benefits include a targeted approach to treatment, reduced side effects compared to conventional therapies, and the potential to slow tumor progression. Immunotherapy offers hope for patients with limited treatment options.
Effectiveness is monitored through regular imaging tests, such as MRI, and clinical evaluations. These assessments help doctors determine the impact of the therapy and make any necessary adjustments.
While generally safe, risks include mild side effects such as fever and fatigue. In rare cases, more severe immune reactions can occur, necessitating close monitoring during treatment.
Immunotherapy offers a more targeted approach, potentially reducing the side effects associated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy. It can be used in combination with traditional treatments to enhance their effectiveness.
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Authors:
The article was edited by medical experts, board certified doctors Dr. Nadezhda Ivanisova and Dr. Vadim Zhiliuk. For the treatment of the conditions referred to in the article, you must consult a doctor; the information in the article is not intended for self-medication!
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Sources:
Read:
Cancer immunotherapy in Germany
Treatment of glioblastoma with dendritic cells in Germany
Brain cancer treatments in Germany
Gamma Knife, treatment of a brain tumor in Germany
