Method and system to remove cytokine inhibitor in patients

Abstract

A method to treat cancer uses ultrapheresis, refined to remove compounds of less than 120,000 daltons molecular weight, followed by administration of replacement fluid, to stimulate the patient's immune system to attack solid tumors. In the preferred embodiment, the patient is ultrapheresed using a capillary tube ultrafilter having a pore size of 0.02 to 0.05 microns, with a molecular weight cutoff of 120,000 daltons, sufficient to filter one blood volume. The preferred replacement fluid is ultrapheresed normal plasma. The patient is preferably treated daily for three weeks, diagnostic tests conducted to verify that there has been shrinkage of the tumors, then the treatment regime is repeated. The treatment is preferably combined with an alternative therapy, for example, treatment with an anti-angiogenic compound, one or more cytokines such as TNF, gamma interferon, or IL-2, or a procoagulant compound. The treatment increases endogenous, local levels of cytokines, such as TNF. This provides a basis for an improved effect when combined with any treatment that enhances cytokine activity against the tumors, for example, treatments using alkylating agents, doxyrubicin, carboplatinum, cisplatinum, and taxol. Alternatively, the ultrapheresis treatment can be combined with local chemotherapy, systemic chemotherapy, and / or radiation.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention is generally in the field of enhancing an immune response, and particularly relates to the removal of TNF inhibitors in a patient, such as a cancer patient, to promote inflammation and thereby induce remission of the cancer.

[0002] This application claims priority to U.S. Ser. No. 60 / 164,695, filed Nov. 10, 1999.

[0003] Conventional cancer therapy is based on the use of drugs and / or radiation which kills replicating cells, hopefully faster than the agents kill the patient's normal cells. Surgery is used to reduce tumor bulk, but has little impact once the cancer has metastasized. Radiation is effective only in a localized area.

[0004] The treatments can in themselves kill the patient, in the absence of maintenance therapy. For example, for some types of cancer, bone marrow transplants have been used to maintain the patient following treatment with otherwise fatal amounts of chemotherapy. Efficacy has not been proven for treatm...