Gene Therapy in Cancer Treatment: Why Go Nano?
Catarina Roma-Rodrigues1, Lorenzo Rivas-García1,2, Pedro V Baptista1
1UCIBIO, Departamento de Ciências da Vida, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Campus de Caparica, 2829-516 Caparica, Portugal.
Abstract:
The proposal of gene therapy to tackle cancer development has been instrumental for the development of novel approaches and strategies to fight this disease, but the efficacy of the proposed strategies has still fallen short of delivering the full potential of gene therapy in the clinic. Despite the plethora of gene modulation approaches, e.g., gene silencing, antisense therapy, RNA interference, gene and genome editing, finding a way to efficiently deliver these effectors to the desired cell and tissue has been a challenge. Nanomedicine has put forward several innovative platforms to overcome this obstacle. Most of these platforms rely on the application of nanoscale structures, with particular focus on nanoparticles. Herein, we review the current trends on the use of nanoparticles designed for cancer gene therapy, including inorganic, organic, or biological (e.g., exosomes) variants, in clinical development and their progress towards clinical applications.
Insights
Nanoparticles offer promising solutions for delivering gene therapy to combat cancer. This review explores various nanoparticle types and their clinical progress in cancer gene therapy applications.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Nanomedicine
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Gene therapy presents novel strategies for cancer treatment, but clinical efficacy is limited.
- Efficient delivery of gene therapy agents to target cells remains a significant challenge.
- Nanomedicine offers innovative platforms, particularly nanoparticles, to overcome delivery obstacles.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current trends in nanoparticle-based cancer gene therapy.
- To discuss the clinical development and progress of various nanoparticle types for cancer gene therapy.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on nanoparticle applications in cancer gene therapy.
- Analysis of clinical development stages for inorganic, organic, and biological nanoparticles.
Main Results:
- Nanoparticles, including inorganic, organic, and biological (exosomes) variants, are actively being developed for cancer gene therapy.
- Significant progress has been made in translating these nanomedicine platforms towards clinical applications.
Conclusions:
- Nanoparticle-based delivery systems are crucial for advancing cancer gene therapy.
- Continued research and development are essential to realize the full clinical potential of these nanomedicine strategies.
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