What are the names of some types of biological therapy?
Different kinds of drugs may be used for biological therapy–some to fight cancer and some to treat the side effects of other cancer treatments. Many of the substances used for biological therapy occur naturally in the body but can also be made in the lab. Examples of the types of drugs used for treatment are interferons, interleukins, colony-stimulating factors, monoclonal antibodies, and nonspecific immunomodulating agents. Gene therapy is yet another type of biological therapy. Interferons can improve the way the immune system acts against cancer cells. Interferons may also act directly on cancer cells by slowing their growth or causing them to act more like normal cells. There are 3 main types of interferons: interferon alpha, interferon beta, and interferon gamma. Interleukins, such as interleukin-2 (also called IL-2 or aldesleukin), stimulate the growth and activity of immune cells. These immune cells can then destroy cancer cells. Colony-stimulating factors (CSFs) usually do not
