Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Orthotopic Transplantation of Breast Tumors as Preclinical Models for Breast Cancer
07:45

Orthotopic Transplantation of Breast Tumors as Preclinical Models for Breast Cancer

Published on: May 18, 2020

[Gene therapy for breast cancer]

Shunji Takahashi1, Yoshikazu Sugimoto

  • 1Department of Medical Oncology, Cancer Institute Hospital.

Nihon Rinsho. Japanese Journal of Clinical Medicine
|March 19, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Gene therapy using the multidrug resistance (mdr1) gene shows promise for advanced breast cancer. Patients receiving mdr1-transduced cells and docetaxel achieved complete remission with no adverse effects.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Gene Therapy
  • Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation

Context:

  • Advanced breast cancer presents significant treatment challenges.
  • Current gene therapy strategies include oncogene suppression, immune enhancement, suicide gene transfer, and drug resistance gene therapy.
  • Multidrug resistance (mdr1) gene therapy is being investigated as a protective measure against high-dose chemotherapy.

Purpose:

  • To evaluate the safety and efficacy of multidrug resistance (mdr1) gene therapy in patients with advanced breast cancer.
  • To assess the in vivo enrichment of mdr1-transduced hematopoietic stem cells following high-dose chemotherapy and docetaxel treatment.
  • To determine the therapeutic potential of combining mdr1 gene therapy with high-dose chemotherapy and autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT).

Summary:

  • A clinical study involving advanced breast cancer patients undergoing high-dose chemotherapy and autologous PBSCT with mdr1-transduced hematopoietic cells was initiated.
  • Two patients received docetaxel treatment post-transplantation, demonstrating in vivo enrichment of mdr1-transduced cells.
  • Both treated patients achieved complete remission with no observed adverse effects related to the mdr1 gene transduction.

Impact:

  • mdr1 gene therapy, combined with high-dose chemotherapy and PBSCT, offers a potentially effective treatment for advanced breast cancer.
  • This approach may enhance treatment tolerance by protecting bone marrow from chemotherapy-induced toxicity.
  • The findings support further clinical investigation of mdr1 gene therapy in breast cancer and potentially other malignancies.

Related Concept Videos

Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
Targeted Cancer Therapies02:57

Targeted Cancer Therapies

The targeted cancer therapies, also known as “molecular targeted therapies,” take advantage of the molecular and genetic differences between the cancer cells and the normal cells. It needs a thorough understanding of the cancer cells to develop drugs that can target specific molecular aspects that drive the growth, progression, and spread of cancer cells without affecting the growth and survival of other normal cells in the body.
There are several types of targeted therapies against specific...
Gene Therapy00:59

Gene Therapy

Gene therapy is a technique where a gene is inserted into a person’s cells to prevent or treat a serious disease. The added gene may be a healthy version of the gene that is mutated in the patient, or it could be a different gene that inactivates or compensates for the patient’s disease-causing gene. For example, in patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) due to a mutation in the gene for the enzyme adenosine deaminase, a functioning version of the gene can be inserted. The...
Gene Therapy00:59

Gene Therapy

Gene therapy is a technique where a gene is inserted into a person’s cells to prevent or treat a serious disease. The added gene may be a healthy version of the gene that is mutated in the patient, or it could be a different gene that inactivates or compensates for the patient’s disease-causing gene. For example, in patients with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) due to a mutation in the gene for the enzyme adenosine deaminase, a functioning version of the gene can be inserted. The...
Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine02:50

Combination Therapies and Personalized Medicine

Combining two or more treatment methods increases the life span of cancer patients while reducing damage to vital organs or tissue from the overuse of a single treatment. Combination therapy also targets different cancer-inducing pathways, thus reducing the chances of developing resistance to treatment.
The combination of the drug acetazolamide and sulforaphane is a good example of combination therapy to treat cancer. The cells in the interior of a large tumor often die due to the hypoxic and...
Mitogens and the Cell Cycle02:38

Mitogens and the Cell Cycle

Mitogens and their receptors play a crucial role in controlling the progression of the cell cycle. However, the loss of mitogenic control over cell division leads to tumor formation. Therefore, mitogens and mitogen receptors play an important role in cancer research. For instance, the epidermal growth factor (EGF) - a type of mitogen and its transmembrane receptor (EGFR), decides the fate of the cell's proliferation. When EGF binds to EGFR, a member of the ErbB family of tyrosine kinase...