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Gene Delivery in Neuro-Oncology
Karan Dixit1, Priya Kumthekar2
1Department of Neurology, Division of Neuro-Oncology, Northwestern University, 710 N. Lake Shore Dr., Abbott Hall Room 1123, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA. karan.dixit@northwestern.edu.
Current Oncology Reports
|September 4, 2017
Summary
Gene therapy offers a promising new avenue for treating glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a deadly brain cancer. Researchers are exploring various gene delivery vehicles and therapeutic genes to improve treatment efficacy.
Area of Science:
- Neuro-oncology
- Molecular biology
- Biomedical engineering
Background:
- Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common primary malignant brain tumor in adults.
- Current multimodal treatments for GBM have a poor prognosis, necessitating novel therapeutic strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review gene therapy as a versatile treatment strategy for glioblastoma.
- To discuss various gene delivery vectors and therapeutic gene approaches for GBM treatment.
Main Methods:
- Review of viral vectors, mesenchymal stem cells, neural stem cells, and nanoparticles for gene delivery.
- Exploration of different therapeutic genes, including suicide genes, immunomodulatory genes, and tumor suppressor genes.
Main Results:
- Advances in biomedical engineering have led to novel gene delivery vehicles with improved tumor tropism and gene transfer.
- Pre-clinical studies and clinical trials indicate the feasibility and safety of gene therapy in neuro-oncology.
- Various genes are being investigated for their anti-tumoral effects in GBM.
Conclusions:
- Gene therapy presents a flexible and adaptable treatment strategy for glioblastoma.
- While promising, further research is required to establish the efficacy of gene therapy for GBM.
