Gene Therapy in Cancer

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Types of Genes And Viruses Used In Gene Therapy In Cancer

There are a number of different viruses that are used in gene therapy for cancer. Viruses are used to transfer to genes to cells. Some of the viruses used include:

Retroviruses;
Adenoviruses;
Adeno-associated viruses;
Lentiviruses;
Poxivuses;
Herpes viruses.

The two main types of genes that play a role in cancer are oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes. Gene therapy seeks to target these types of cells in order to prevent and treat cancer.

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Oncogenes are mutated genes that cause normal cells to become cancer cells. Proto-oncogenes normally control how often a cell divides and how it differentiates. Oncogenes divide too quickly, which may lead to cancer. There are over 100 recognized oncogenes, divided into these five different categories:

Growth factors;
Growth factor receptors;
Signal transducers;
Transcription factors;
Programmed cell death regulators.

Tumor suppressor genes repair DNA mistakes, tell cells when to die and slow down cell division. Sometimes tumor suppressor genes do not do these functions properly, allowing cells to grow out of control. This can lead to cancer. The types of tumor suppressor genes are:

Genes that control cell division;
Genes that repair DNA;
Genes that tell cells when to die.

How Can Gene Therapy Be Used to Treat Cancer?

Researchers are looking into a number of ways in which gene therapy can be used to treat cancer. Some of the techniques currently being studied include:

Replacing missing or changed genes with healthy genes;
Improving a patient's immune response to cancer;
Injecting cancer cells with genes that help them respond better to treatment;
Placing genes into stem cells that make them more resistant to side effects of anticancer drugs;
Injecting cancer cells with genes that destroy the cells;
Preventing cancer cells from developing new blood vessels.

The Successes and Challenges in Cancer Gene Therapy

Gene therapy in cancer is still in its early stages. There needs to be much research and clinical trials done before it will be widely available to the public. Naturally, all new research needs to undergo a process of trial, review and evaluation before it may be used. There are also certain problems in targeting cells that need to be corrected. Cancer gene therapy also provides ethical concerns that may not be there for other cancer treatments.

New studies are constantly being done and scientists' knowledge of the role of gene therapy in cancer is improving all the time. Some cancer gene therapy trials have proven to be very successful. The evidence seems to show that cancer gene therapy will be an appropriate treatment option for cancer patients in the future.