title: Gene therapy of liver diseases: a 2011 perspective.
abstract: Liver diseases including inherited metabolic disorders, chronic viral hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and primary and metastatic liver cancer constitute a formidable health problem because of their high prevalence and the important limitations of current therapies. Gene therapy, a procedure based on the transfer of therapeutic genes to tissues, has been used since the 1990s as a new approach to treating a number of incurable conditions. After a period of lights and shades recent success in treating several devastating diseases like inherited immune deficiency disorders, beta-thalassemia, or inherited blindness appear to herald a new era where gene therapy can be listed among standard therapy options for a wide variety of human conditions. In this review, we provide information illustrating the potentiality of gene therapy in the management of liver diseases lacking other effective therapies.
authors.affiliation: Division of Hepatology and Gene Therapy, Centro de Investigación Medica Aplicada and Clinica Universitaria, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain.
authors.forename: Gloria
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gonzalez-Aseguinolaza
authors.forename: Jesús
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prieto
mesh_terms: D015316:Genetic Therapy; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000628:therapy; D006526:Hepatitis C / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy*