New Delhi, March 9 (IANS) After successfully treating hundreds of cancer patients in India, a Noida-based institute has now accepted an offer from Malaysia to provide targeted 'dendritic cell' therapy to patients there.

The Institute of Cellular Therapies (ICT) has devised a new treatment that uses cell-based cancer immuno-therapy - treatment using the patient's own mononuclear cells transformed into cancer-specific dendritic (immune system regulatory) cells.

Through this therapy, medical experts extract the mononuclear (CD14+) cells from the patient's own blood, transform these cells into cancer-fighting cells and implant them back in the patients body.

'Dendritic cell therapy is a targeted add-on treatment for cancer patients. It helps the recovery process and reduces the chance of relapse of the disease among patients. We are happy that the Malaysian government authorities now want this treatment to be made available there,' senior doctor and ICT director Jamal A. Khan told IANS.

Khan said that his institute will set up a cell culture lab for clinical trials in Malaysia very soon.

He said ICT will work in tandem with Malaysia's health ministry to set up the lab and making this treatment popular. Malaysia is currently importing the medicine from ICT and after the lab comes up in the country, ICT will manufacture the medicine - Denvax - in Malaysia.

'This treatment is not available in Malaysia and it will work as an additional facility for the people of that country. Our therapy targets the cancer cells without affecting other cells around the cancerous part of the body,' he added.

Khan said Denvax targets only the cancer cells without harming the healthy ones. It is safe and effective and works best to prevent relapse and recurrences, the major cause of mortality and morbidity.

Denvax helps in correcting the failed immune surveillance and teaches the immune system to recognize and kill cancer cells.

'Denvax destroys the disseminated cancer cells, thereby preventing its development, slowing the spread of cancer and improving life expectancy,' the senior doctor added.

(Prashant K. Nanda can be contacted at prashant.n@ians.in)