Electrically mediated reporter gene transfer into normal rat liver tissue

Gene therapy is a relatively new type of treatment compared to other modalities such as surgical intervention and drug therapy. Unfortunately, gene therapy is not yet a reality. However, this type of treatment continues to show promise due to the wealth of molecular information about human disease that has been accumulated in the past two decades. This information has a high potential for therapeutic benefit because the molecular basis for many diseases has been identified (1-3). It is clear that the introduction of DNA that codes for therapeutic translation products is a rational strategy for correcting diseased or dysfunctional cells. This type of therapy, gene therapy, is particularly promising for the treatment of cancer and metabolic diseases. It also has a high potential for vaccination against disease.