Autologous Patient Specific Tumor Antigen Response technology, or apSTAR, is a new cancer

Cancer

Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...

 treatment procedure being developed by IMULAN BioTherapeutics, LLC

IMULAN BioTherapeutics, LLC

-About:IMULAN BioTherapeutics, LLC, is a veterinary immunobiology company developing a range of immune based therapies for veterinary medicine. IMULAN BioTherapeutics, LLC has several divisions related to immuno-biology and comparative medicine....

 and Veterinary Cancer Therapeutics, LLC for comparative oncology

Oncology

Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with cancer...

.

Also known as laser-assisted immunotherapy

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a medical term defined as the "treatment of disease by inducing, enhancing, or suppressing an immune response". Immunotherapies designed to elicit or amplify an immune response are classified as activation immunotherapies. While immunotherapies that reduce or suppress are...

, apSTAR is an experimental cancer treatment

Experimental cancer treatment

Experimental cancer treatments are medical therapies intended or claimed to treat cancer by improving on, supplementing or replacing conventional methods ....

 for solid tumor

Tumor

A tumor or tumour is commonly used as a synonym for a neoplasm that appears enlarged in size. Tumor is not synonymous with cancer...

s that utilizes an autologous vaccine

Vaccine

A vaccine is a biological preparation that improves immunity to a particular disease. A vaccine typically contains an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, and is often made from weakened or killed forms of the microbe or its toxins...

-like approach to stimulate immune responses. Specifically, laser

Laser

A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of photons. The term "laser" originated as an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation...

-assisted immunotherapy

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a medical term defined as the "treatment of disease by inducing, enhancing, or suppressing an immune response". Immunotherapies designed to elicit or amplify an immune response are classified as activation immunotherapies. While immunotherapies that reduce or suppress are...

 combines laser-induced in situ

In situ

In situ is a Latin phrase which translated literally as 'In position'. It is used in many different contexts.-Aerospace:In the aerospace industry, equipment on board aircraft must be tested in situ, or in place, to confirm everything functions properly as a system. Individually, each piece may...

tumor

Tumor

A tumor or tumour is commonly used as a synonym for a neoplasm that appears enlarged in size. Tumor is not synonymous with cancer...

 devitalization with an immunoadjuvant

Adjuvant

An adjuvant is a pharmacological or immunological agent that modifies the effect of other agents, such as a drug or vaccine, while having few if any direct effects when given by itself...

 for local immunostimulation.

Experimental data and initial human trials suggests that laser-assisted immunotherapy treatment may prolong life and even cure patients with advanced cancer.

Principles of apSTAR

The two principles underlying apSTAR are: (1) local destruction of tumor by means of a laser combined with a photo-absorbing dye; and (2) stimulated immune response due to the application of an immunoadjuvant, but also due to increases in antigen accessibility caused by the destruction of the tumor. Both elements of this protocol are crucial. It is important to note that since this method independently triggers the immune response in each individual, it does not depend upon cross reactivity in the expression of tumor-specific antigen between hosts (as is required in conventional antibody immunotherapy and vaccination.)

Trials

Veterinary Cancer Therapeutics, LLC a subsidiary of IMULAN BioTherapeutics, LLC

IMULAN BioTherapeutics, LLC

-About:IMULAN BioTherapeutics, LLC, is a veterinary immunobiology company developing a range of immune based therapies for veterinary medicine. IMULAN BioTherapeutics, LLC has several divisions related to immuno-biology and comparative medicine....

 is in exploratory trials for canine osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma

Osteosarcoma is an aggressive cancerous neoplasm arising from primitive transformed cells of mesenchymal origin that exhibit osteoblastic differentiation and produce malignant osteoid...

, canine melanoma

Melanoma

Melanoma is a malignant tumor of melanocytes. Melanocytes are cells that produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. They predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the body, including the bowel and the eye...

, canine and feline fibrosarcoma

Fibrosarcoma

Fibrosarcoma is a malignant tumor derived from fibrous connective tissue and characterized by immature proliferating fibroblasts or undifferentiated anaplastic spindle cells.Usually in males ages 30 to 40. Originates in fibrous tissues of the bone. Invades long or flat bones such as femur, tibia,...

, and several other forms of cancer..