Immunotherapy for reversing immune suppression

Abstract

A method for overcoming immune suppression includes the steps of inducing production of naive T cells and restoring T cell immunity. A method of vaccine immunotherapy includes the steps of inducing production of naive T cells and exposing the naive T cells to endogenous or exogenous antigens at an appropriate site. Additionally, a method for unblocking immunization at a regional lymph node includes the steps of promoting differentiation and maturation of immature dendritic cells at a regional lymph node and allowing presentation of processed peptides by resulting mature dendritic cells, thus, for example, exposing tumor peptides to T cells to gain immunization of the T cells. Further, a method of treating cancer and other persistent lesions includes the steps of administering an effective amount of a natural cytokine mixture as an adjuvant to endogenous or exogenous administered antigen to the cancer or other persistent lesions; preferably the natural cytokine mixture is administered in combination with thymosin α 1 .

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . A method for inducing an immune response in a subject, the method comprising:
 a. administering an effective amount of a natural cytokine mixture (NCM) to the subject, wherein the NCM comprises Interleukin-1 (IL-1), Interleukin-2 (IL-2), Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Interleukin-8 (IL-8), Interleukin-12 (IL-12), Interferon-γ (IFN-γ), Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), and Granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF);   b. administering an effective amount of a thymic peptide to the subject; and   c. administering at least one exogenous antigen to the subject,   wherein an immune response to the at least one exogenous antigen is induced in the patient.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the thymic peptide is thymosin α1. 
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the IL-2 in the NCM is present in an amount of 100-353 units/mL. 
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the administering is via injection. 
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 36 , wherein the injection is a perilymphatic injection. 
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37 , wherein the perilymphatic injection is a bilateral or contralateral injection. 
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the NCM and thymic peptide antigen are administered at the same time. 
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the method further comprises:
 a. administering an effective amount of a cyclophosphamide to the subject.   
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the method further comprises:
 a. administering an effective amount of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) to the subject.   
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 41 , wherein the NSAID is indomethacin. 
     
     
         43 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the method further comprises:
 a. administering an effective amount of a cyclophosphamide to the subject; and   b. administering an effective amount of a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) to the subject.   
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the NSAID is indomethacin. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the method further comprises:
 a. administering an effective amount of zinc to the subject.   
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the subject has a cellular immune deficiency. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 46 , wherein the subject has cancer. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 47 , wherein the at least one exogenous antigen is at least one exogenous tumor antigen. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 48 , wherein the at least one exogenous tumor antigen is a prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) peptide. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 33 , wherein the at least one exogenous antigen is at least one exogenous tumor, viral, or fungal antigen.