Update on gene therapy approaches for cancer

The goal of cancer gene therapy is the selective and efficient eradication of tumor cells without significant systemic toxicity. Although several different gene therapy approaches have been developed and tested both in preclinical and clinical trials, none of these methods are suitable for the safe and efficient treatment of cancer. Recent advances in tumor cell biology have accelerated the identification of novel proteins as targets for gene transfer strategies. However, the development of vectors and delivery systems for specific and efficient gene therapy has not kept pace with these discoveries. Below, we describe the most widely used gene therapy approaches and discuss the caveats of using these techniques in the clinic.