Delivery approaches of gene therapy in hepatocellular carcinoma

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Gene Therapy
• Hepatology

Background:

• Gene therapy offers potential benefits for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients.
• Despite extensive research, effective gene therapy for HCC remains elusive due to low gene transfer efficiency and selectivity.
• Current challenges are often linked to the gene/vector complex and, critically, the delivery technique.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review and analyze gene delivery techniques for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
• To explore the relationship between gene/vector complexes and delivery methods in enhancing gene therapy efficacy.
• To assess techniques for promoting efficacy without unacceptable systemic toxicity.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of gene delivery techniques for HCC.
• Analysis of various delivery routes: systemic intravenous (IV), intra-arterial (IA), intra-tumoral (IT), intra-portal (IP), intra-biliary (IB), and intra-splenic (IS) injections.
• Evaluation of the merits, safety, repeatability, and efficiency of each technique.

Main Results:

• No single gene delivery technique has proven highly effective for HCC to date.
• Efficiency and selectivity of gene transfer to tumor tissue remain significant limitations.
• Ongoing research aims to optimize delivery techniques for improved safety and efficacy.

Conclusions:

• Delivery techniques play a critical role in the success of gene therapy for HCC.
• Further development is needed to overcome limitations in safety, repeatability, and efficiency.
• Optimizing the interplay between gene/vector complexes and delivery methods is key to advancing HCC gene therapy.