title: Use of suicide genes for cancer gene therapy: study of the different approaches.
abstract: Cancer is a disease of high incidence for which conventional treatments are not necessarily effective. There is a need for the development of new alternative strategies. Among them, suicide gene therapy has been developed. In this approach, a gene encoding for a protein toxic under particular conditions is delivered to the target cells, resulting in their death. Although this approach has been in development for a long time, new combinations with other gene therapy areas, such as selective replicative viruses, tumour targeting, or conventional treatments such as chemo- or radiotherapy, are currently being tested. This review will summarise some of these approaches.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Francisco de Vitoria, Ctra, Pazuelo de Alarcon, Madrid, Spain. georges.vassaux@cancer.org.uk
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vassaux
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martin-Duque
mesh_terms: D000256:Adenoviridae / Q000235:genetics; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D041722:Genes, Transgenic, Suicide / Q000235:genetics*; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006801:Humans; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D011355:Prodrugs / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000235:genetics; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000235:genetics; D014616:Vaccinia virus / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D011355:Prodrugs; D013937:Thymidine Kinase