Based in Tijuana, Mexico, Oasis of Hope is a medical facility that provides patients with alternative cancer treatments. For close to six decades, Oasis of Hope has focused on going beyond chemotherapy to explore alternative cancer treatments, including the dendritic cancer (DC) vaccine. The dendritic cancer vaccine is produced by scientists where dendritic cells are grown alongside cancer cells in a laboratory setting. Dendritic cells are designed to assist the immune system in discovering and destroying abnormal cells, including cancer cells. The role of the DC vaccine is to stimulate a patient’s immune system to target and attack cancer. Unlike traditional vaccines that protect patients from contracting a disease, cancer treatment vaccines are administered to patients with cancer. To make DC vaccines, dendritic cells are removed from a patient then exposed to digested tumor peptides or messenger RNA obtained from a cancer patient’s tumor. After that, the primed dendritic cells are returned to the patient with the expectation that they will effectively activate immune responses. Initially, DC clinical trials were unsatisfactory, but as knowledge increases, newer and more advanced techniques are being evaluated to boost the efficacy of dendritic cell vaccines. Some of the techniques under investigation are alternative antigen combinations and dendritic cell optimal loading. Dendritic cell vaccines are a welcome addition for oncologists exploring alternative ways to fight cancer. However, the investigation is still underway to determine how to generate the best DC vaccines that can offer protection against tumor development and trigger tumor regression.

1. Oasis of Hope

2. Based in Tijuana, Mexico, Oasis of Hope is a medical facility that
provides patients with alternative cancer treatments. For close to six
decades, Oasis of Hope has focused on going beyond chemotherapy to
explore alternative cancer treatments, including the dendritic cancer (DC)
vaccine.

3. The dendritic cancer vaccine is produced by scientists where dendritic
cells are grown alongside cancer cells in a laboratory setting. Dendritic
cells are designed to assist the immune system in discovering and
destroying abnormal cells, including cancer cells.

4. The role of the DC vaccine is to stimulate a patient’s immune system to
target and attack cancer. Unlike traditional vaccines that protect patients
from contracting a disease, cancer treatment vaccines are administered
to patients with cancer. To make DC vaccines, dendritic cells are
removed from a patient then exposed to digested tumor peptides or
messenger RNA obtained from a cancer patient’s tumor. After that, the
primed dendritic cells are returned to the patient with the expectation that
they will effectively activate immune responses.

5. Initially, DC clinical trials were unsatisfactory, but as knowledge
increases, newer and more advanced techniques are being evaluated to
boost the efficacy of dendritic cell vaccines. Some of the techniques
under investigation are alternative antigen combinations and dendritic
cell optimal loading. Dendritic cell vaccines are a welcome addition for
oncologists exploring alternative ways to fight cancer. However, the
investigation is still underway to determine how to generate the best DC
vaccines that can offer protection against tumor development and trigger
tumor regression.