title: A pilot study of combined suicide/cytokine gene therapy in two patients with end-stage anaplastic thyroid carcinoma.
abstract: This study represents the first report of gene therapy for anaplastic thyroid carcinoma, one of the most aggressive solid tumors in humans. Two patients with end-stage anaplastic thyroid carcinoma were treated by direct intratumor injection of retroviral vector producer cells followed by ganciclovir. The retroviral vector carried the human IL-2 gene and the suicide gene thymidine kinase of herpes simplex virus type 1. Treatment was safe and associated with only mild adverse events. Transduction of tumor cells and production of T helper type 1 cytokines was demonstrated in tumor biopsies. Gene therapy led also to a marked increase in T helper type 1 cytokine expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Radiological evaluation of injected tumor masses demonstrated local tumor necrosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Histology, Microbiology, and Medical Biotechnologies, University of Padova, Via Gabelli 63, I-35121 Padova, Italy. luisa.barzon@unipd.it
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Barzon
authors.forename: Monia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pacenti
authors.forename: Augusto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taccaliti
authors.forename: Elisa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Franchin
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bruglia
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boscaro
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palù
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000628:therapy*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D015774:Ganciclovir / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D006801:Humans; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics; D013937:Thymidine Kinase / Q000235:genetics*; D013964:Thyroid Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D013937:Thymidine Kinase; D015774:Ganciclovir