Open AccessCancer gene therapy: an awkward adolescence
Author(s) -
Michael M. Gottesman
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
cancer gene therapy
Language(s) - Uncategorized
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.535
H-Index - 86
eISSN - 1476-5500
pISSN - 0929-1903
DOI - 10.1038/sj.cgt.7700602
Subject(s) - genetic enhancement , cancer , cancer therapy , credentialing , radiation therapy , suicide gene , medicine , gene transfer , gene delivery , gene , cancer cell , cancer research , bioinformatics , biology , genetics , medical education
At the Eleventh International Conference on Gene Therapy of Cancer (December 12-14, 2002, San Diego, CA) progress on using gene transfer technology to treat cancer was presented. Although there is as yet no cancer gene therapy being marketed, considerable progress has been made in defining likely strategies and likely targets for gene therapy of cancer. These strategies, including viral and non-viral delivery systems, and potential targets in cancer cells linked to our developing knowledge of cancer cell biology, are reviewed in this paper. Use of gene therapy to sensitize tumors to radiation and chemotherapy is one promising area of investigation. Some of the ancillary benefits of research on cancer gene therapy, including the development of public-private partnerships, recruitment of laboratory scientists into clinical research, and credentialing of potential cancer cell targets for therapies other than gene therapy, are noted.