Pseudotyped retrovectors for tumor-specific delivery of toxic suicide genes.
Tumor-targeted gene transfer of the suicide gene, herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK) is an extremely powerful biopharmaceutical approach for the treatment of cancer. However, no substantive clinical benefit has been reported since this concept was first developed more than a decade ago. This review summarizes the current status of human clinical trials employing viral-vector based delivery of HSV-TK as well as novel means being developed by which killing of tumor cells could be enhanced. In particular, we discuss of the use of VSV-G pseudotyped retrovectors in successfully achieving high tumor-restricted gene transfer efficiency in preclinical studies and the challenges still to be overcome to bring cancer gene therapy safely to the clinic.
Division of Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, McGill University, Lady Meredith House, 1110 Pine Avenue West, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1A3, Canada. johnstagg@hotmail.com
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