Local delivery for gene therapy.
Patients with head and neck cancers are excellent candidates for gene therapy. With few effective alternatives for patients with recurrent or locally metastatic disease, gene therapy offers a new approach for local control and the possibility to enhance other treatment modalities as well. Different therapeutic genes, including tumor suppressor genes, prodrug or suicide genes, and genes whose products enhance immunocompetence, can be delivered using specifically designed vectors with little toxicity or threat of undesirable viral spread. Two of these gene therapy agents, RPR/INGN 201 and HLA-B7 + beta2 microglobulin, have shown clinical activity, according to reports from phase I trials.
Clayman
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Department of Cancer Biology, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, 1515 Holcombe Boulevard, Box 69, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Dreiling
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D016147:Genes, Tumor Suppressor / Q000235:genetics; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods; D011355:Prodrugs; D014161:Transduction, Genetic
D011355:Prodrugs