Non-viral methods for gene transfer towards osteosarcoma therapy.
Osteosarcoma, a class of cancer that originates from bone, afflicts mainly young people usually in their teenage years of life. Despite surgery and chemotherapy, the outlook for sufferers is not that positive, with a third of patients with metastatic disease not surviving past the 10-year mark. Like other neoplasms, other forms of therapeutics are being evaluated, and amongst these is gene therapy. This review discusses approaches for gene therapy of osteosarcoma using cationic liposomes and polyethylenimine in vivo. The field is still in its infancy as far as osteosarcoma is concerned and much more needs to be done to test its true potential as a feasible therapeutic modality.
Dass
Crispin R
CR
Department of Orthopaedics, St Vincent's Hospital Melbourne, University of Melbourne, Fitzroy, Australia. crispi.dass@svhm.org.au
Choong
Peter F M
PF
D001859:Bone Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D012516:Osteosarcoma / Q000628:therapy*