Immunotherapy is a cutting-edge biomedical treatment strategy that harnesses, enhances, or restores the natural power of the body’s immune system to detect, target, and destroy abnormal cells—most notably cancer cells, pathogens, or autoimmune threats. As a transformative pillar of modern precision medicine, immunotherapy represents a paradigm shift from traditional therapies (such as chemotherapy or radiation), aiming for sustained immune surveillance, minimal toxicity, and long-term disease control or remission.
In oncology, immunotherapy includes immune checkpoint inhibitors (e.g., PD-1, PD-L1, CTLA-4 blockers), monoclonal antibodies, CAR-T cell therapy, cancer vaccines, and cytokine-based treatments. It is widely used in treating cancers such as melanoma, non-small cell lung cancer, mesothelioma, lymphoma, and more. Beyond oncology, immunotherapy is applied in autoimmune disorders, chronic infections, and allergic conditions, showcasing its broad therapeutic versatility.
Immunotherapy may be curative, palliative, or adjunctive, depending on disease type and patient profile. It requires biomarker-based selection (e.g., tumor mutational burden, MSI-H status), and its response patterns differ from cytotoxic agents—often featuring pseudoprogression or immune-related adverse events (irAEs) requiring specialized management.