Developments in suicide genes for preclinical and clinical applications.
The graduation of gene therapy from unfulfilled dreams to conventional therapy for genetic and acquired disorders will require a mastery of multiple disparate components including gene delivery vectors, regulated tissue-specific gene expression, control of immunity and manipulation of cell viability. Improvements in suicide genes have opened up a whole new treatment modality for treating hyperproliferative disorders and for designing animal models for disease. Along with herpes simplex virus-1 thymidine kinase, a host of additional suicide genes have been developed. A critical comparison of these will follow along with progress in utilizing these reagents for therapeutic benefits.
Spencer
D M
DM
Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Immunology, One Baylor Plaza/M929, Houston, TX 77030, USA. dspencer@bcm.tmc.edu
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D043525:Cytosine Deaminase; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D006086:Graft vs Host Disease / Q000628:therapy; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy; D009700:Nucleoside Deaminases / Q000235:genetics; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000235:genetics
D013937:Thymidine Kinase; D009700:Nucleoside Deaminases; D043525:Cytosine Deaminase