Let Me Explain

India has made a significant advancement in cancer treatment with the introduction of CAR T-cell therapy, showing promising results in recent clinical trials published in The Lancet.   Here's a simplified explanation: What is CAR T-cell therapy? A new type of cancer treatment that uses the patient's own immune system.   T-cells (a type of white blood cell) are collected from the patient's blood.   In a lab, these T-cells are genetically modified to attack cancer cells.   The modified T-cells are then infused back into the patient.   What types of cancer does it treat? Certain blood cancers, especially when other treatments have failed.   What were the results of the clinical trials? Nearly 73% of patients responded positively to the treatment. The trials also provided important data on survival rates for patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphoma. Is it available in India? Yes, India's drug regulator approved the ...

DNA Vaccines: Unleashing the Power of Genetic Code for Immunity Today, we're going to delve into the fascinating world of DNA vaccines. These vaccines are a groundbreaking approach to immunization, using the power of our genetic code to stimulate our immune systems. So, let's break it down in a way that's easy to understand. What Are DNA Vaccines? Imagine that your body is a fortress, and to protect this fortress, you need your immune system to be well-prepared. DNA vaccines are like giving your immune system a blueprint, a set of instructions, to recognize and fight off a specific invader, such as a virus. In a DNA vaccine, instead of using a weakened or inactivated virus, scientists provide a small piece of the virus's genetic material, which is DNA. This genetic material carries instructions for building a part of the virus, usually a protein, like a piece of the virus's armor. How Do DNA Vaccines Work? Here's a simplified way to understand how DN...

A recombinant vaccine is a type of vaccine that is developed using recombinant DNA technology. These vaccines are designed to protect against specific diseases by introducing harmless pieces of the disease-causing microorganism, typically a virus or bacterium, into the body. The key feature of recombinant vaccines is that the antigens used to stimulate the immune response are produced through the manipulation of genetic material rather than by growing the microorganism itself. Here are the key components and characteristics of recombinant vaccines: 1. Antigens Produced Through Genetic Engineering: Recombinant vaccines are created by isolating the gene responsible for producing a specific antigen from the pathogen. This gene is then inserted into a different organism, such as bacteria, yeast, or cell cultures, which can produce the antigen. This process is called genetic recombination. The genetically engineered organism produces the antigen, which ...

ADJUVANTS What Are Adjuvants? Adjuvants are substances that are added to vaccines to enhance the body's immune response to the antigens in the vaccine. Antigens are the components in vaccines derived from the disease-causing microorganisms (bacteria, viruses, etc.) that stimulate the immune system to produce an immune response. Why Are Adjuvants Used in Vaccines? The primary purpose of adjuvants is to improve the effectiveness of vaccines in several ways: Enhanced Immune Response : Adjuvants make the immune response to the vaccine stronger and longer lasting. They essentially "turbocharge" the immune system, ensuring that it reacts more robustly to the antigen in the vaccine. Lower Antigen Dose : Adjuvants allow the use of smaller amounts of antigens in vaccines, which is especially important in cases where the antigen is scarce or difficult to produce. This conserves resources and can also ...

CONJUGATE OR MULTIVALENT VACCINE A conjugate vaccine is a type of subunit vaccine that combines a weak antigen with a strong antigen as a carrier . The antigen is fused (conjugated) to a carrier molecule, which enhances the stability and effectiveness of the vaccine. A  conjugate vaccine  is a type of  subunit vaccine  which combines a weak  antigen  with a strong antigen as a carrier so that the  immune system  has a stronger response to the weak antigen. Conjugate Vaccines : Conjugate vaccines are a crucial advancement in the field of immunization, designed to provide protection against certain types of bacterial infections, particularly those caused by bacteria with a polysaccharide capsule. Let's break down the key points: Polysaccharide Capsules : Many pathogenic bacteria have a protective polysaccharide capsule around them. This capsule makes it difficult for the immune system to recognize and combat these bac...

ACTIVE OR PASSIVE IMMUNIZATION Immunization is a crucial topic in the field of healthcare and medicine. It's all about protecting our bodies from diseases, and there are two primary ways to achieve this: active immunization and passive immunization Active Immunization : Active immunization involves stimulating the body's immune system to create a lasting defence against a particular disease. This defence is typically achieved by introducing a harmless form of the disease-causing agent or a part of it, called an antigen, into the body. The immune system recognizes this antigen as foreign and generates an immune response to fight it. This process usually results in the production of antibodies and the development of a memory response. The key components of active immunization include: Vaccination : This is the most common method of active immunization. Vaccines are carefully formulated to contain weakened or inactivated versions of pathogens. When ...

ELISA & RIA Top of Form ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay) and RIA (Radioimmunoassay) are both laboratory techniques used to detect and quantify the presence of specific substances, such as proteins or hormones, in biological samples. While they share similarities in their principles, they differ in the detection methods they employ. ELISA (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay): Principle: Immunoassay Technique: ELISA is an immunoassay technique that relies on the specific binding of antibodies to antigens. Enzyme Labelling: An enzyme, such as horseradish peroxidase or alkaline phosphatase, is linked to one of the binding partners (usually an antibody). Color Change: The enzyme catalyzes a reaction that results in a color change, indicating the presence and amount of the target substance. Types of ELISA: Direct ELISA: Uses a labeled primary antibody that binds directly to the target antigen. Indirect ...