Pancreatic cancer: gene therapy approaches and gene delivery systems.
BACKGROUND
Due to the absence of early diagnosis, the highly invasive and metastatic features and the lack of effective therapeutic modalities, the prognosis of patients with pancreatic cancer is poor. Gene therapy is currently regarded as a potential and promising therapeutic modality for pancreatic cancer.


METHODS
This article summarizes an update of gene therapy approaches and reviews the latest progress in gene delivery systems that have been tested on pancreatic cancer.


RESULTS
The treatment effectiveness of gene combination therapy is better than that of the regulation of single-gene or single gene therapy approaches. Naked DNA is limited because of degradation by intracellular and extracellular nucleases. Virus vectors show high transfection efficiency but are limited due to immunogenicity, inflammatory response and potential carcinogenicity. Non-viral vectors, such as cationic polymers or inorganic nanoparticles, show an important feature that they can be easily modified, and the progress of materials science will provide more and better non-viral vectors, accordingly improving the efficiency and safety of gene therapy, which will make them the most promising vectors for pancreatic cancer.
Xu
Jin
J
Fudan University, Pancreatic Disease Institution, Huashan Hospital, Department of General Surgery, Shanghai, China.
Jin
Chen
C
Hao
Sijie
S
Luo
Guopei
G
Fu
Deliang
D
D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D015316:Genetic Therapy; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*