There are several types of immunotherapy, including checkpoint inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, and adoptive cell therapy. Checkpoint inhibitors are drugs that block certain proteins that prevent the immune system from attacking cancer cells. Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins that can target specific proteins on the surface of cancer cells, which can help the immune system recognize and attack these cells. Adoptive cell therapy involves removing immune cells from the patient's blood, modifying them in a laboratory to better recognize and attack cancer cells, and then infusing them back into the patient's bloodstream.
Immunotherapy has shown promising results in treating certain types of cancer, particularly melanoma, lung cancer, and bladder cancer.