MANILA, July 5 — For communities across Asia, the fight against cancer is taking a sharp turn toward the body’s own defences. The field of immunotherapy is no longer a distant promise; it is a growing arsenal of treatments that harness the immune system to hunt and destroy tumours. At the heart of this revolution are immune checkpoints — molecules on T cells that normally act as a brake on immune responses.
Cancer cells have learned to hijack these checkpoints, effectively hiding from attack. Scientists have turned this betrayal into a weapon.
Checkpoint inhibitors block proteins like CTLA-4 or PD-1/PD-L1, reactivating T cells to kill tumours. Drugs such as ipilimumab, pembrolizumab, nivolumab, and atezolizumab are now used in over 15 cancer types. For families across the region, this means more options beyond chemotherapy and radiation.
But checkpoint inhibitors are just one piece of a larger picture. CAR-T cell therapy takes a different approach.
Doctors collect a patient’s own T cells, genetically engineer them to express a chimeric antigen receptor targeting a tumour antigen — for example, CD19 in B-cell cancers — and infuse them back into the body. The first CAR-T approvals came in 2017, for acute lymphoblastic leukemia and diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. As of 2023, six CAR-T products had received FDA approval.
What it means for people closer to home is that a treatment once considered experimental is now standard for certain blood cancers. The process is personalised, using a patient’s own cells, which can be both its greatest strength and a logistical challenge for healthcare systems in Asia. Bispecific T-cell engagers, or BiTEs, offer another route.
Blinatumomab, approved in 2014, works by physically linking T cells to cancer cells, forcing an immune attack. And oncolytic viruses, such as talimogene laherparepvec (T-VEC, approved in 2015), selectively infect and lyse tumour cells while also stimulating a broader immune response.
For communities in the Philippines and across the region, the growing diversity of immunotherapies means that more patients may find a treatment that works for them. The challenge now is access — making these advanced therapies available and affordable where they are needed most. The next few years will likely bring more combinations: checkpoint inhibitors paired with CAR-T cells, or oncolytic viruses used alongside BiTEs.
For families facing a cancer diagnosis, these developments offer something precious: hope. Consult your doctor for medical advice.
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