What is Biological Therapy?

Biological therapy is a new treatment approach that utilizes modern biotechnology and products to mediate the suppression or elimination of tumor growth, either directly or indirectly. It involves two major categories: non-cellular therapy and cellular therapy. Non-cellular therapy includes antibody therapy (such as monoclonal antibodies), vaccine therapy, and gene therapy. Antibody therapy works by specifically binding to carcinogenic sites to kill tumor cells; vaccine therapy activates the patient's own immune system to fight tumors; and gene therapy aims to treat diseases by transferring genetic material into the patient's body. Cellular therapy mainly relies on autologous cells expanded and cultured in vitro, such as dendritic cell vaccines (DC cells) and cytokine-induced killer cells (CIK cells), to enhance the patient's anti-cancer capabilities. Biological therapy has demonstrated significant effectiveness in improving patients' quality of life and prolonging survival periods.