Abstract
Radiation has been a well-established modality in cancer treatment for several decades. Significant improvements have been achieved in radiotherapy over the years due to technological advances and development of facilities for delivery of charged particles such as protons. Nonetheless, the potential for tumor control with radiotherapy must always be carefully balanced with the risk for normal tissue damage. In addition, tumor cells outside the immediate field of radiation exposure or that have metastasized to distant sites are not destroyed. Gene therapy offers many exciting possibilities by which the overall efficacy of radiotherapy may be improved, while minimizing unwanted side effects. This review highlights several of the most promising gene transfer approaches that are currently being evaluated in combination with radiation in the treatment of cancer. Results from studies utilizing genes encoding molecules that function in apoptosis, radiosensitization, immune up-regulation, angiogenesis, DNA repair, normal tissue protection from radiation damage, and tumor targeting are discussed. The evidence indicates that many of these innovative gene-based strategies have great potential to augment radiotherapy, as well as other established forms of cancer treatment, in the near future.
Keywords: ionizing radiation, protons, radiosensitization, radiation-inducible promoters, targeted gene therapy, suicide genes, immunogenes
Current Gene Therapy
Title: Combining Gene Therapy and Radiation Against Cancer
Volume: 4 Issue: 3
Author(s): Daila S. Gridley and James M. Slater
Affiliation:
Keywords: ionizing radiation, protons, radiosensitization, radiation-inducible promoters, targeted gene therapy, suicide genes, immunogenes
Abstract: Radiation has been a well-established modality in cancer treatment for several decades. Significant improvements have been achieved in radiotherapy over the years due to technological advances and development of facilities for delivery of charged particles such as protons. Nonetheless, the potential for tumor control with radiotherapy must always be carefully balanced with the risk for normal tissue damage. In addition, tumor cells outside the immediate field of radiation exposure or that have metastasized to distant sites are not destroyed. Gene therapy offers many exciting possibilities by which the overall efficacy of radiotherapy may be improved, while minimizing unwanted side effects. This review highlights several of the most promising gene transfer approaches that are currently being evaluated in combination with radiation in the treatment of cancer. Results from studies utilizing genes encoding molecules that function in apoptosis, radiosensitization, immune up-regulation, angiogenesis, DNA repair, normal tissue protection from radiation damage, and tumor targeting are discussed. The evidence indicates that many of these innovative gene-based strategies have great potential to augment radiotherapy, as well as other established forms of cancer treatment, in the near future.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Gridley S. Daila and Slater M. James, Combining Gene Therapy and Radiation Against Cancer, Current Gene Therapy 2004; 4 (3) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1566523043346318
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1566523043346318 |
Print ISSN 1566-5232 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-5631 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
Programmed Cell Death Genes in Oncology: Pioneering Therapeutic and Diagnostic Frontiers (BMS-CGT-2024-HT-45)
Programmed Cell Death (PCD) is recognized as a pivotal biological mechanism with far-reaching effects in the realm of cancer therapy. This complex process encompasses a variety of cell death modalities, including apoptosis, autophagic cell death, pyroptosis, and ferroptosis, each of which contributes to the intricate landscape of cancer development and ...read more
Related Journals
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Prostaglandin E Synthase: A Novel Drug Target for Inflammation and Cancer
Current Pharmaceutical Design Evaluation of Tricine and EDDA as Co-ligands for <sup>99m</sup>Tc-Labeled HYNIC-MSH Analogs for Melanoma Imaging
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Impact of Renin-Angiotensin System in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Current Cancer Drug Targets Drug Targeting Strategies for Photodynamic Therapy
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry A proteomics based approach for the identification of gastric cancer related markers
Current Pharmaceutical Design Potential Therapeutic Benefits of Dipyridamole in COVID-19 Patients
Current Pharmaceutical Design Impact of Metformin on Male Reproduction
Current Pharmaceutical Design Peptides Targeting Angiogenesis Related Growth Factor Receptors
Current Pharmaceutical Design Editorial (Diabetes, Obesity and Vascular Disease - An Update)
Current Pharmaceutical Design Oral Nano-Delivery Systems for Colon Targeting Therapy
Pharmaceutical Nanotechnology MATra - Magnet Assisted Transfection: Combining Nanotechnology and Magnetic Forces to Improve Intracellular Delivery of Nucleic Acids
Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology The Development of MetAP-2 Inhibitors in Cancer Treatment
Current Medicinal Chemistry Do Drugs Work for ΟΑΒ Following Prostate Cancer Surgery
Current Drug Targets Infection and Malignancy Risk in Patients Treated with TNF Inhibitors for Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases
Current Drug Safety Arsenic trioxide Alters the MicroRNA Expression Profile of U87 glioblastoma
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry The Complexity of DEK Signaling in Cancer Progression
Current Cancer Drug Targets Managing Comorbidity in COPD: A Difficult Task
Current Drug Targets Insights on Antimicrobial Resistance, Biofilms and the Use of Phytochemicals as New Antimicrobial Agents
Current Medicinal Chemistry Circumventing Immune Tolerance Through Epigenetic Modification
Current Pharmaceutical Design Towards Understanding the Roles of Prohibitins, Multi-Functional Regulator Proteins
Current Chemical Biology