title: Molecular targeting of gene therapy and radiotherapy.
abstract: The full promise of gene therapy has been limited by the lack of specificity of vectors for tumor tissue as well as the lack of antitumor efficacy of transgenes encoded by gene delivery systems. In this paper we review our studies investigating two modifications of gene therapy combined with radiotherapy. The first investigations described include studies of radiation inducible gene therapy. In this paradigm, radio-inducible DNA sequences from the CarG elements of the Egr-1 promoter are cloned upstream of a cDNA encoding TNFalpha. The therapeutic gene (TNFalpha) is induced by radiation within the tumor microenvironment. In the second paradigm, genetically engineered herpes simplex virus (HSV-1) is induced by ionizing radiation to proliferate within the tumor volume. These modifications of radiotherapy and gene therapy may enhance the efficacy of both treatments.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiation and Cellular Oncology, The Pritzker School of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Illinois 60637, USA. rrw@rover.bsd.uchicago.edu
authors.forename: R R
authors.initials: RR
authors.lastname: Weichselbaum
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Kufe
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Advani
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Roizman
mesh_terms: D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm / Q000528:radiation effects*; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded / Q000235:genetics; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D018259:Herpesvirus 1, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000472:pathogenicity*; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics* / Q000532:radiotherapy*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011878:Radiotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D014779:Virus Replication
chemical_list: C400152:DNA enzyme ED5; D018076:DNA, Complementary; D004273:DNA, Neoplasm; D004277:DNA, Single-Stranded; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha