Recent advances in liver-directed gene transfer vectors.
BACKGROUND
Gene therapy as part of modern molecular medicine holds great promise for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and has the potential to bring a revolutionary era to cancer treatment. For the past decade various viral and non-viral vectors have been engineered for improved liver gene therapy.


METHODS
An English-language literature search using MEDLINE (2004), Index Medicus (2004) and bibliographic reviews of books and review articles. Liver-directed gene transfer vectors and their history and recent clinical applications.


RESULTS
The ultimate goal of liver-directed gene therapy for HCC is the stable expression of a therapeutic transgene in a significant proportion of hepatocytes. The design of a vector system providing efficient and stable gene engraftment and expression in human hepatocytes is still a challenging issue. The advantages and disadvantages of the genetically engineered vector of viral or non-viral origin are discussed with respect to their essential relevance.


CONCLUSIONS
Liver gene therapy has a long way to go and efficient and innocuous liver-directed gene transfer vectors are therefore urgently required.
Department of General Surgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
Dong
D
Xia
Ming-Man
MM
Zhang
Lu-Nan
LN
Yan
D000818:Animals; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000628:therapy*; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques / Q000639:trends; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*